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Cardiorespiratory Fitness As A Vital Sign Of Cvd Risk In The Covid-19 Era, Matthew P. Harber, James E. Peterman, Mary Imboden, Leonard Kaminsky, Ruth E.M. Ashton, Ross Arena, Mark A. Faghy

Faculty Publications - Department of Kinesiology

The severe health consequences of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been exacerbated by the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as physical inactivity, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Further, policy decisions during the pandemic augmented unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and health inequalities, likely increasing the global disease burden. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a well-established biomarker associated with CVD risk. Emerging data demonstrate that high CRF offers some protection against severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection, highlighting the importance of CRF for population health and the potential for limiting the severity of future pandemics. CRF is best assessed by …