311. Guidelines: 2021 ESC Cardiovascular Prevention – Question #29 with Dr. Laurence Sperling

The following question refers to Section 5.2 of the 2021 ESC CV Prevention Guidelines. The question is asked by MGH medicine resident Dr. Christian Faaborg-Andersen, answered first by Dr. Jessie Holtzman, and then by expert faculty Dr. Laurence Sperling.Dr. Laurence Sperling is the Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine and Founder of Preventive Cardiology at the Emory Clinic. Dr. Sperling was a member of the writing group for the 2018 Cholesterol Guidelines, serves as Co-Chair for the ACC's Cardiometabolic and Diabetes working group, and is Co-Chair of the WHF Roadmap for Cardiovascular Prevention in Diabetes.The CardioNerds Decipher The Guidelines Series for the 2021 ESC CV Prevention Guidelines represents a collaboration with the ACC Prevention of CVD Section, the National Lipid Association, and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.Enjoy this Circulation 2022 Paths to Discovery article to learn about the CardioNerds story, mission, and values.

Question #29

What percentage of the European population currently meets the recommended physical activity guidelines (150 minutes moderate-intensity activity weekly or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity activity weekly)?A<10%B10-25%C25-50%D50-75%E>75%

Answer #29

ExplanationThe correct answer is A: <10% of the European population currently meets the recommended physical activity guidelines.The American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, and World Health Organization all share the recommendation that adults should engage in 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity. They recognize that additional health benefits may be garnered from incremental increases to 300 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity or 150 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity, with a recommendation to include both aerobic and muscular strength training activities.According to the WHO, physical inactivity is the 4th leading cause of death in the world. The statistics regarding physical inactivity are staggering. Recent studies have shown that <10% of the European population meets the minimum recommended levels of physical activity. Similarly, ¼ adults and ¾ adolescents (aged 11-17) do not currently meet the global recommendations for physical activity. The World Health Organization has created a Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 with the goal to achieve a 15% relative reduction in the global prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030.Society level interventions to increase physical activity have been proposed including school-based activity programs, improved accessibility of exercise facilities across the socioeconomic spectrum, and governmental consideration of physical activity when designing cities (i.e.