Levels of Physical Activity and Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Among Adult Hospital Attendees in Mangalore. A cross-sectional study.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of mortality globally, with physical inactivity identified as a major modifiable risk factor. There is limited data from Indian settings assessing physical activity using standardized tools and its association with ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk. Aim: This study aimed to assess physical activity levels and examine their association with 10-year IHD risk among adults in Mangalore. Materials and methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 patient bystanders aged 40-74 years at Government Wenlock Hospital, Mangalore. Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and metabolic equivalents (MET-min/week) were calculated. Participants were categorized based on WHO recommendations (≥600 MET-min/week). The 10-year IHD risk was estimated using WHO/ISH non-laboratory-based risk charts. Data were analyzed using Jamovi, and associations were tested using the Chi-square test with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: The mean age of participants was 48.9±7.1 years, with 58.4% males. A majority (93.1%) met WHO physical activity recommendations, with a mean activity level of 5803±2964 MET-min/week. Most participants (67.3%) had a low IHD risk (<5%), while 24.8% and 7.9% had moderate (5-<10%) and high (10-<20%) risk, respectively. A statistically significant inverse association was observed between physical activity and IHD risk (χ²=13.22, p=0.001). Among those meeting activity recommendations, 71.3% had low IHD risk, compared to only 14.3% among those not meeting recommendations. Conclusions: Adequate physical activity is strongly associated with lower IHD risk. Promoting active lifestyles and integrating routine risk assessment using standardized tools can play a crucial role in reducing cardiovascular disease burden in similar populations.