Is long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by respiratory gas exchange during exercise, associated with all-cause mortality?
Long-term Change, studied in 579 men (Mayo Clin Proc 2016, PMID 27444976) — a 1 mL/min*kg higher ΔVO2max was associated with a 9% relative risk reduction of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95) in multivariate analysis. Scope: 579 men, over 15 years, and the abstract states no limitations.
Source: Mayo Clin Proc 2016, PMID 27444976 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: medium
Mayo Clin Proc · 2016 · PMID 27444976 · DOI 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.014
Maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness over time is important for reducing the risk of all-cause mortality.
The question
Is long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by respiratory gas exchange during exercise, associated with all-cause mortality?
What they tested
The study aimed to investigate if long-term change in CRF is associated with all-cause mortality, implying a hypothesis that changes in CRF would correlate with mortality risk.
How they did it
A population-based sample of 579 men, aged 42 to 60 years, with complete data at baseline (V1) and 11-year reexamination (V2) was included. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured at both visits using respiratory gas exchange during maximal exercise testing, and the difference (ΔVO2max) was calculated. Deaths were tracked annually for 15 years after V2 using national death certificates. Multivariate analysis adjusted for various baseline factors was performed.
What they found
The mean ΔVO2max was -5.2 mL/min*kg. During a median follow-up of 13.3 years, 123 deaths (21.2%) were recorded. A 1 mL/min*kg higher ΔVO2max was associated with a 9% relative risk reduction of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95) in multivariate analysis.
What it means
Long-term reduction in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in this population.
Limitations
The study population consisted only of men aged 42 to 60 years at baseline, limiting generalizability to other demographics. The abstract does not explicitly state other limitations.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Long-term Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness and All-Cause Mortality: A Population-Based Study |
|---|---|
| Journal | Mayo Clin Proc |
| Year | 2016 |
| PMID | 27444976 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.014 ↗ |
| Topic | Muscle, strength & physical function |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Consumer biometric wearables—smartwatches, wrist-worn bands and finger rings from makers such as Apple…
Consumer biometric wearables—smartwatches, wrist-worn bands and finger rings from makers such as Apple…
Consumer biometric wearables—smartwatches, wrist-worn bands and finger rings from makers such as Apple…
Consumer biometric wearables—smartwatches, wrist-worn bands and finger rings from makers such as Apple…
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Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
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Cite this page
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Magellan Longevity. (2026). Is long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by respiratory gas exchange during exercise, associated with all-cause mortality? [Plain-English summary of Mayo Clin Proc 2016, PMID 27444976, DOI 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.014]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d27444976.html@misc{magellan_d27444976,
title = {Is long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by respiratory gas exchange during exercise, associated with all-cause mortality?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d27444976.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 27444976; DOI 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.014; Mayo Clin Proc 2016. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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