Increased leisure-time physical activity is associated with lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in 64-year old women with impaired glucose tolerance.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by a cluster of factors that confer an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity as well as mortality. It is established that physical activity (PA) has a protective role in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, mainly through favorable effects on traditional risk factors such as body mass and blood pressure. We assessed the prevalence of MetS in a population-based sample of 64-year-old women with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) with respect to leisure-time PA (LTPA). The results showed an inverse linear association (P < .05) between LTPA and MetS in this group. In conclusion, this study suggests that an increased PA level has an important role in preventing MetS in women with IGT.