Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41608826›Full record

Observational studyCirculation2026

Wearable-Derived Training Load and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes and Physically Active Controls: A New Perspective From the Master@Heart Study.

Rik Pauwels, Christophe Dausin, Sergio Ruiz-Carmona, Ruben De Bosscher, Jarne De Paepe, Youri Bekhuis, Boris Delpire, Peter Sinnaeve, Steven Dymarkowski, Olivier Ghekiere and 12 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Circulation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03711539 (Lifetime Endurance Exercise to Prevent Coronary Artery Disease. A Comparison With Late-onset Endurance Training and a Sedentary Lifestyle), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03711539 unknown statusnot on this map

Lifetime Endurance Exercise to Prevent Coronary Artery Disease. A Comparison With Late-onset Endurance Training and a Sedentary Lifestyle

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversitaire Ziekenhuizen KU LeuvenRan2018 to 2025Enrolled1,800ConditionsCoronary Artery Disease, Physical Activity, Lifestyle
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Rik PauwelsDepartment of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0009-0005-6287-5085
Christophe DausinDepartment of Movement Sciences (C.D.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Sergio Ruiz-CarmonaDepartment of Cardiology (S.R.-C.), Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Ruben De BosscherDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences (R.P., R.D.B., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., P.S., T.K., T.R., R.W., G.C.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3163-4781
Jarne De PaepeDepartment of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-1452-6276
Youri BekhuisDepartment of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-3903-5051
Boris DelpireDepartment of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-1887-6919
Peter SinnaeveDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences (R.P., R.D.B., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., P.S., T.K., T.R., R.W., G.C.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4716-5892
Steven DymarkowskiDepartment of Radiology (S.D.), University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
Olivier GhekiereDepartment of Radiology (O.G.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.
Liesbeth BruckersI-Biostat, Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Belgium (L.B.).ORCID 0000-0002-6978-3002
Tatiana KuznetsovaDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences (R.P., R.D.B., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., P.S., T.K., T.R., R.W., G.C.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4293-4576
Caroline M Van De HeyningDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium (C.M.V.D.H., P.L.V.H., H.H.).
Paul L Van HerckDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium (C.M.V.D.H., P.L.V.H., H.H.).ORCID 0000-0003-2798-8226
Thijs M H EijsvogelsDepartment of Medical BioSciences, Exercise Physiology Research Group, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.M.H.E.).ORCID 0000-0003-0747-4471
Lieven HerbotsDepartment of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-7784-3610
Tomas RobynsDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences (R.P., R.D.B., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., P.S., T.K., T.R., R.W., G.C.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-8676-4874
André La GercheHeart, Exercise and Research Trials Laboratory, Saint Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia (A.L.G.).ORCID 0000-0002-3906-3784
Hein HeidbuchelDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium (C.M.V.D.H., P.L.V.H., H.H.).ORCID 0000-0001-9301-8127
Rik Willems *Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (R.P., R.D.B., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., P.S., T.K., T.R., R.W., G.C.), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-5469-9609
Guido Claessen *Department of Cardiology, Hartcentrum (R.P., J.D.P., Y.B., B.D., L.H., G.C.), Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.
Master@Heart Consortium

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMiddle-aged and older endurance athletes have increased prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) on coronary computed tomography angiography compared with healthy controls, despite similarly low cardiovascular risk. Previous studies relied on self-reported data to quantify training load (TL), which poorly correlates with objective wearable-derived TL and may bias outcomes. The effect of objective TL on CAD risk remains unknown.

methodsIn this observational, cross-sectional analysis of the Master@Heart study, 222 men (median age, 54 [49-59] years) were included: 77 lifelong athletes, 98 late-onset athletes, and 47 controls. TL was assessed using objective wearable-derived training duration and intensity (12 consecutive months), as well as self-reported training measures. Coronary computed tomography angiography-derived CAD prevalence was compared across TL quartiles (Q) using a global unadjusted chi-square test and logistic regression, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and years of endurance exercise, to estimate odds ratios between Q4 and Q1. In addition, adjusted logistic regression models were fitted with continuous TL, using smoothing splines to capture potential nonlinear associations.

resultsAcross quartiles of objective Edwards training impulse (training duration × heart rate-weighted intensity), unadjusted global differences were observed for ≥1 plaque (

conclusionsHigh training duration (hours/week), particularly when combined with cumulative high-intensity TL (Edwards training impulse), was independently associated with increased prevalence of subclinical CAD in middle-aged and older athletes and physically active controls. Exercise intensity alone, in the absence of high duration, was not clearly linked to CAD. These findings underscore the potential of objectively measured TL for understanding associations with subclinical CAD in endurance athletes. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03711539.

Indexed as

AthletesCoronary Artery DiseaseWearable Electronic DevicesCross-Sectional StudiesEndurance TrainingHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRisk Factorsathletescoronary artery diseaseendurance training

Identifiers

PMID41608826
PMCPMC13056411

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.