Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Sep 4:10:1119.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01119. eCollection 2019.

Exercise and Arterial Stiffness in the Elderly: A Combined Cross-Sectional and Randomized Controlled Trial (EXAMIN AGE)

Arne Deiseroth  1 , Lukas Streese  1 , Sabrina Köchli  1 , Romy Sandra Wüst  1 , Denis Infanger  1 , Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss  1 , Henner Hanssen  1
Affiliations

Exercise and Arterial Stiffness in the Elderly: A Combined Cross-Sectional and Randomized Controlled Trial (EXAMIN AGE)

Arne Deiseroth et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Arterial stiffness (AST) is a main determinant of cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Long-term physical activity (PA) is considered to decrease age-related progression of AST but effects of short-term exercise interventions on AST remain unclear.

Methods: In a combined cross-sectional and interventional study approach, we investigated the effects of long-term PA and short-term high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on AST in an older population. 147 older individuals (mean age 59 ± 7 years) were assigned to three groups according to their PA and CV risk profile and compared: healthy active (HA, n = 35), healthy sedentary (HS, n = 33) and sedentary at risk (SR, n = 79). In addition, SR were randomized to either 12 weeks of HIIT or standard recommendations. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured by applanation tonometry. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was performed by symptom-limited spiroergometry to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).

Results: Higher CRF was associated with lower PWV (p < 0.001) and VO2max explained 18% of PWV variance. PWV was higher in SR (8.2 ± 1.4 m/s) compared to HS (7.5 ± 1.6 m/s) and HA (7.0 ± 1.1 m/s; p < 0.001). 12 weeks of HIIT did not change PWV in SR. HIIT-induced reduction in systolic BP was associated with a reduction in PWV (p < 0.05).

Discussion: SR show higher PWV compared to HS and long-term PA is associated with lower PWV. Reduction of AST following short-term HIIT seems to depend on a concomitant decrease in blood pressure. Our study puts into perspective the effects of long- and short-term exercise on arterial wall integrity as treatment options for CV prevention in an older population.

Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02796976 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02796976).

Keywords: aging; cardiovascular risk; high-intensity interval training; physical activity; pulse wave velocity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow-chart.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Scatterplot showing maximal oxygen uptake by central pulse wave velocity (PWV) for healthy active (HA) and sedentary (HS) as well as sedentary at risk (SR). Regression line and 95% confidence intervall of mean standard deviation are visualized. Multiple linear regression was adjusted for age and sex.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Number of risk factors in participants and the corresponding mean central pulse wave velocity (PWV). ∗Jonckheere Trend Test.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Central pulse wave velocity in the cross-sectional (A) and interventional (B) approach. HA, healthy active; HS, healthy sedentary; SR, sedentary at risk; ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01; ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Regression line and 95% confidence interval of standard deviation are visualized. Deltas were calculated subtracting pre- from post-value. ∗Multiple linear regression adjusted for age and sex, baseline central PWV and body mass index. Abbreviations: BP, blood pressure; PWV, pulse wave velocity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ahmadi-Abhari S., Sabia S., Shipley M. J., Kivimaki M., Singh-Manoux A., Tabak A., et al. (2017). Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and long-term changes in aortic stiffness: the whitehall II study. J. Am. Heart Assoc. 6:e005974. 10.1161/JAHA.117.005974 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ainsworth B. E., Haskell W. L., Herrmann S. D., Meckes N., Bassett D. R., Jr, Tudor-Locke C., et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of physical activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 43 1575–1581. 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31821ece12 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ashor A. W., Lara J., Siervo M., Celis-Morales C., Mathers J. C. (2014). Effects of exercise modalities on arterial stiffness and wave reflection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One 9:e110034. 10.1371/journal.pone.0110034 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ben-Shlomo Y., Spears M., Boustred C., May M., Anderson S. G., Benjamin E. J., et al. (2014). Aortic pulse wave velocity improves cardiovascular event prediction: an individual participant meta-analysis of prospective observational data from 17,635 subjects. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 63 636–646. 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.09.063 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ciolac E. G., Bocchi E. A., Bortolotto L. A., Carvalho V. O., Greve J. M., Guimaraes G. V. (2010). Effects of high-intensity aerobic interval training vs. moderate exercise on hemodynamic, metabolic and neuro-humoral abnormalities of young normotensive women at high familial risk for hypertension. Hypertens. Res. 33 836–843. 10.1038/hr.2010.72 - DOI - PubMed

Associated data