Cardiovascular Risk Factors and their Responses to a 10 Weeks Training Program in Young Qatari Adults
Journal Title: Obesity Research - Open Journal - Year 2015, Vol 2, Issue 2
Abstract
Rapid development in Qatar in recent years has led to numerous changes, particularly the increased prevalence of lifestyle related health risks, with almost 50% obesity rates amongst Qataris of all ages. We investigated the effects of a 10-week exercise training program aimed at young Qatari adults, on a number of Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. With Qatar University IRB approval, we screened 158 (89 males, 69 females) Qatari student volunteers from Qatar University for CVD factors of hypertension indicated by Systolic Blood Pressure (BPS) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (BPD), overweight and obesity indicated by Body Fat percentage (%BF), Body Weight (BW) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Thirty six participants (23% of total number) were identified with one or more risk factors (hypertension and overweight), and were enrolled to follow a 10-week recreational-type exercise training program. The training involved 30-45 min of either walking, cycling, jogging and swimming at an exercise intensity corresponding to 50-85% of each participant’s maximum heart rate, on 3-5 times/week. The intervention significantly reduced BW (93.4±14.1 vs. 86.7±14.5, and p<0.05), BMI (31.0±3.6 vs. 28.7±3.9, p<0.05) and BF% (31.2±9.0 vs. 21.2±4.4, p<0.05) in males, and there was a significant reduction in BPD (83.4±5.3 vs. 76.0±9.2 mm Hg, p<0.05). The effects in female participants were not significant. This recreational-type exercise intervention was effective in substantially reducing the CVD indices. However, the alarmingly high prevalence of sedentary-related CVD risks amongst Qatari young adults, especially those related to obesity, overweight and hypertension necessitate further public health interventions in this age-group as an early prevention strategy.
Authors and Affiliations
Ahmad Alkhatib
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP554908
- DOI 10.17140/OROJ-2-110
- Views 168
- Downloads 0
Obesity and Trace Elements
Obesity has been identified as a medical problem. Obesity may be associated with abnormal metabolism and micronutrient deficiencies. Thus, obesity and malnutrition at the same time is a reality. However, in the past it w...
Inflammation Driven Activation of Wnt Pathway: A Potential Mechanism Responsible for Obesity-associated Colorectal Cancer
Substantial evidence indicates that obesity, which has reached an epidemic proportion, is a robust risk factor for several types of cancer, particularly the colorectal cancer. As the worldwide obesity epidemic has shown...
Effects of Dietary Control, Exercise and Anti-Obesity Prescriptions on Weight Loss: An Interview-Based Study
Obesity is a major public health problem all over the world. The objective of this work was to evaluate effectiveness of various weight management strategies. Methods A clinic interview-based study was accomplished in va...
Prescribing Exercise as an Alternative Treatment for Ageing Populations of the 21st Century
Life expectancy has significantly increased over the past few decades. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has increased by 6 years globally, and populations live on average 20 years longer than 50 years ago according t...
Effects of Protein Load Prior to the Main Meal of the Day: A Pilot Trial
Background: High protein diets increase satiety and may decrease energy intake. Many overweight people overeat in the evening. We hypothesized that ingesting protein prior to the evening meal may limit successive calorie...