Is cardiorespiratory fitness independently associated with the biochemical profile in overweight/obese adults with primary hypertension? The EXERDIET-HTA study

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is positively associated with enhanced cardiovascular health. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine associations between CRF and the biochemical profile of overweight/obese adults diagnosed with primary hypertension (HTN). Does cardiorespiratory fitness (exposure) positively affect the biochemical profile (outcome) in overweight/obese individuals suffering from HTN? Assessment with anthropometric, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24 hours), CRF (peak oxygen uptake, V̇O2peak), and biochemical analysis was performed on 214 participants (138 men, 76 women). A series of linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Participants were divided into CRF tertiles (classified as low, moderate, and high CRF). The CRF was independently and inversely associated with aspartate aminotransferase (AST; β=-0.328, P<0.05) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; β=-0.376, P