Association between physical fitness, cardiovascular risk factors, and Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Objective: Exercise is a cornerstone of therapy for Parkinson's disease. This study addressed the association between physical fitness and the onset of Parkinson's disease and association with cardiovascular risk factors. Patients and methods: Male veterans (N = 7347, 59.0 ± 11.2 years) from the Veterans Exercise Testing Study cohort were evaluated. Physical fitness was measured objectively by maximal exercise testing. Onset of Parkinson's disease was abstracted from the Veterans Affairs computerized patient records system. Results: After a mean follow-up of 12.5 ± 6.3 years, a total of 94 (1.3%) developed Parkinson's disease. Incidence was 86 cases per 100,000 person-years. The strongest multivariate factors associated with incidence of Parkinson's disease were higher age (hazard ratio: 1.067, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.043–1.093, p