Aerobic Exercise for a Duration of 90 min or Longer Per Week may Reduce the Atherogenic Index of Plasma

The correlation between the weekly duration of aerobic exercise and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is still unknown. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 27,827 middle-aged Chinese men who had health examinations in our hospital. The correlation between the duration of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and AIP was determined. The mean AIP levels were 0.1166 ± 0.34475, 0.1167 ± 0.32637, and 0.0765 ± 0.32872 in the non-exercise (PA1), occasional exercise (PA2), and frequent exercise groups (PA3), respectively. Significantly higher AIP levels were observed in the PA1 and PA2 groups than the PA3 group, while no significant difference existed between the PA1 and PA2 groups. Physical activity significantly reduced the AIP after adjustment for age, body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose and uric acid levels. In addition, the percentage of the population at high risk for atherosclerosis (AIP ≥ 0.21) was significantly lower in the PA3 group than the PA1 and PA2 groups. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at a weekly duration of 90 min or longer is associated with the reduction of AIP among middle-aged men in southeastern China.