Objective:

To assess the relationship between physical activity intensity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Yunnan Province.

Approach:

• Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis using data from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study, including 10,477 participants aged 30–79 years.
• Physical Activity Assessment: Physical activity intensity categorized as low (LPA), moderate (MPA), or vigorous (VPA) based on self-reported questionnaire data.
• Outcome Measurement: Composite prevalent CVD identified through self-reported data, including coronary heart disease, stroke, rheumatic heart disease, pulmonary-derived heart disease, and high-altitude heart disease.

Key Findings:

• 267 participants (2.56%) had CVD.
• VPA was associated with lower odds of CVD compared to LPA in crude model (OR 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04-0.26; P-trend < 0.001).
• After adjusting for age and sex, VPA remained associated with lower odds of CVD (OR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11-0.85; P-trend = 0.018).
• Further adjustments for various health and lifestyle factors showed VPA was associated with lower odds of CVD (OR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.09-0.80; P-trend = 0.025).
• Significant interaction between waist circumference and physical activity intensity regarding CVD odds.

Interpretation:

VPA was associated with lower odds of prevalent CVD in this high-altitude Chinese population.

Limitations:

• Cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
• Potential for reverse causation.

Conclusion:

The study found an association between VPA and lower odds of CVD, but results should be interpreted with caution due to the study's design.