Table 6.
Comparison of Coronary Plaque Composition and CAC Score in Exercise Studies
| Author Year | N | Male (%) | Amount of Exercise | Fatty Plaque | Fibrous Plaque | Noncalcified Plaque | Calcified Plaquea | Mixed Plaque (Calcified and Noncalcified) | Total Plaque | CAC Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current study 2019 | 270 | 83% | MET group 3 (≥10.6) compared with MET group 1 (4.0–8.1) | ↔ | ↑ | ↔ | N/A | N/A | ↑ | ↓ |
| Merghan18 2017 | 152 | 70% | Athletes with mean endurance training of 7.7±3.5 h/wk for average of 31.0±12.6 years compared with controls who exercised for 1.9±0.5 h/wk | N/A | N/A | ↔ | ↑ | ↓ | ↑ | ↑ |
| Aengevaeren16 2017 | 284 | 100% | >2000 MET min/wk group compared with <1000 MET‐min/wk group | N/A | N/A | ↔ | ↑ | ↓ | NA | ↑ |
| Laddu17 2017 | 3175 | 43.5% | >450 min exercise/wk compared with <150 minutes exercise/wk | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ↑ |
| Schwartz19 2014 | 50 | 100% | 50 male marathon runners who participated in 25 consecutive Twin Cities Marathon races compared with 23 sedentary controls | N/A | N/A | ↑ | ↑ | N/A | ↑ | N/A |
| DeFina13 2019 | 21, 758 | 100% | Men exercising ≥3000 MET min/wk compared with <1500 MET min/wk | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ↑ |
| Imran39 2016 | 2971 | 40% | Walking >15 to 22.5 MET h/wk compared with ≤3.75 MET h/wk | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ↓ |
↓ indicates decrease; ↑, increase; ↔, no difference; CAC, coronary artery calcium score; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; and NA, not applicable.
a
Calcified plaque within individual arterial segments examined.