A Comparison of Accelerometer Cut-Points among Individuals with Coronary Artery Disease

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 11;10(9):e0137759. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137759. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Background: Accurate assessment of physical activity among coronary artery disease patients is important for assessing adherence to interventions. The study compared moderate-to-vigorous physical intensity activity and relationships with cardiometabolic health/fitness indicators using accelerometer cut-points developed for coronary artery disease patients versus those developed in younger and middle-aged adults.

Methods: A total of 231 adults with coronary artery disease wore an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer for ≥4 days (≥10 hours/day). Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity between cut-points was compared using Bland-Altman analyses. Partial spearman correlations assessed relationships between moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity from each cut-point with markers of cardiometabolic health and fitness while controlling for age and sex.

Results: Average time spent in bouts of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity using coronary artery disease cut-points was significantly higher than the young (mean difference: 13.0±12.8 minutes/day) or middle-aged (17.0±15.2 minutes/day) cut-points. Young and middle-aged cut-points were more strongly correlated with body mass index, waist circumference and systolic blood pressure, while coronary artery disease cut-points had stronger relationships with triglycerides, high-density and low-density lipoproteins. All were similarly correlated with measures of fitness.

Conclusion: Researchers need to exert caution when deciding on which cut-points to apply to their population. Further work is needed to validate which cut-points provide a true reflection of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and to examine relationships among patients with varying fitness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actigraphy* / instrumentation
  • Actigraphy* / methods
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers
  • Canada / epidemiology
  • Coronary Artery Disease / epidemiology
  • Coronary Artery Disease / metabolism*
  • Coronary Artery Disease / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Activity*
  • Reference Values
  • Socioeconomic Factors

Substances

  • Biomarkers