Associations of Leisure‐Time Physical Activity and Television Viewing With Life Expectancy Free of Nonfatal Cardiovascular Disease: The ARIC Study

BACKGROUND: High levels of physical activity have been associated with longer life expectancy free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but specific types of CVD and sedentary behavior have not been examined. We examined associations of leisure‐time moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (LTPA) and television viewing with life expectancy free of 3 types of CVD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 13 534 participants from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort. We used multistate survival models to estimate associations of LTPA in the past year (no LTPA, less than the median, equal to or greater than the median) and television viewing (often or very often, sometimes, seldom or rarely) with life expectancy at age 50 free of nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and heart failure (HF). Over 27 years of follow‐up, 4519 participants developed one of the 3 nonfatal CVDs and 5475 deaths occurred. Compared with participants who engaged in no LTPA, participants who engaged in LTPA equal to or greater than the median had longer life expectancy free of nonfatal CHD (men: 1.5 years [95% CI, 1.0–2.0]; women: 1.6 years [95% CI, 1.1–2.2]), stroke (men: 1.8 years [95% CI, 1.2–2.3]; women: 1.8 years [95% CI, 1.3–2.3]), and HF (men: 1.6 years [95% CI, 1.1–2.1]; women: 1.7 years [95% CI, 1.2–2.2]). Compared with viewing more television, watching less television was associated with longer life expectancy free of CHD, stroke, and HF (≈0.8 year). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of LTPA and less television viewing were associated with longer life expectancy free of CHD, stroke, and HF. Engaging in LTPA and watching less television may increase the number of years lived free of CHD, stroke, and HF.