Proteomics insights on how physical inactivity can influence cardiovascular health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a global target to reduce physical inactivity by 10% by 2025,1 but according to a pooled analysis of 1.9 million participants during 2001 to 2016, the progress of the WHO target is “not on track”.2 This analysis indicated a prevalence of 28% of adults, or approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide, to be physically inactive.2 Sedentary behaviour and poor physical fitness are described as major modifiable risk factors and also implicated in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.3 The enormous adversity of physical inactivity on the human body ranges from increased oxidative stress, proinflammation, subcutaneous and visceral adiposity, high blood pressure and subsequently type 2 diabetes mellitus, to coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke as well as various cancers and mental disorders.