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Investigating the Relationship Between Comprehensively Measured Physical Behaviors and Cardiovascular Diseases in Cancer Survivors

Principal Investigator
Name
Greg Welk
Degrees
MPH
Institution
Iowa State University
Position Title
Professor
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
IDATA (Learn more about this study)
Project ID
IDATA-82
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Oct 18, 2024
Title
Investigating the Relationship Between Comprehensively Measured Physical Behaviors and Cardiovascular Diseases in Cancer Survivors
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) top the list of causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy drugs like anthracyclines, along with radiation-induced vascular damage, physical inactivity, and sedentary lifestyle, are linked to higher rates of heart failure, arrhythmias, and coronary heart disease. However, the precise relationship of these factors is not known. Particularly, the association between physical activity patterns (intensity, timing, and frequency) and CVD risk remains elusive due to limited availability of comprehensive high-quality data. This project proposes to address these gaps by leveraging data from the Interactive Diet and Activity Tracking AARP study (IDATA) to evaluate the micro temporal physical behavior profiles influence on CVD risk. These findings will guide larger scale analyses of linking objective physical behaviors and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in the Sister Study by Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). Taken together, these investigations will inform the development of personalized physical activity interventions aimed at reducing CVD risk among cancer survivors and improvement of overall survivorship.

Central hypothesis

We hypothesize that physical activity patterns and sedentary behaviors influence cardiovascular outcomes in cancer survivors through changes in metabolic pathways. These effects vary by behavior intensity, timing, and frequency and are moderated by biological responses from cancer treatments.
Aims

Aim 1: Validation of physical activity measurement techniques to quantify the impact of physical activity and sedentary behavior on metabolic and cardiovascular risk in real-world settings using IDATA dataset. We will integrate objective and subjective data to assess the effect of different levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviors on key metabolic risk markers and cardiovascular outcomes. Specifically, self-report data will help annotate objective data for context and energy expenditure prediction from doubly labeled water. This will enable us to establish the standards physical activity duration, intensity, and sedentary time that correspond to improved cardiovascular risks.

Aim 2: Exploration of intra-and inter-day variability of physical activity and sedentary behavior influences on long-term cardiovascular risk in larger epidemiological studies using the Sister Study. Notably, we will assess the association of these fluctuations with cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity to ascertain the moderation or aggravation in CVD risks.

Summary:
In this two-phase project, we will validate and explore the effect of various patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior on CVD risk in cancer survivors. Phase 1 will focus on establishing these relationships with granular and context data from IDATA while cementing for translation in larger cohort, the Sister Study in phase 2 that will investigate the long-term effects of various physical behavior profiles on the risk of CVD in cancer survivors. Overall, the findings from this project will help improve the tailoring of population-level lifestyle interventions for cancer survivors at high risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Collaborators

Charles Matthews, PhD - NIH/NCI
Gregory J. Welk, PhD - Iowa State University
Paul Hibbing, PhD - University of Illinois Chicago
Nicholas Lamoureux, PhD - University of Nebraska at Kearney
Emily Berg, PhD - Iowa State University
Elizabeth Lefferts, PhD - Iowa State University

Related publications
Lamoureux, N. R., Hibbing, P. R., Matthews, C., & Welk, G. J. (2022). Integration of Report-Based Methods to Enhance the Interpretation of Monitor-Based Research: Results From the Free-Living Activity Study for Health Project. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour, 5(1), 42–48. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2021-0029