In: Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Cardiometabolic Diseases pp 425-431

First Online: 19 March 2019

Numerous recent studies have documented the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the risk paradigm among subjects both with and without chronic disease. In fact, in many recent studies, CRF has been shown to be a more powerful risk marker than the traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These observations have been an impetus to include fitness as one of the primary “vital signs” along with the traditional risk markers that include hypertension, lipid abnormalities, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. These studies have also led to increasing efforts to promote physical activity through employer-based worksite wellness programs, which have been consistently shown to have a positive economic impact.