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Effects of exercise training on arterial stiffness in older hypertensive females

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Abstract

Purpose

Regular physical exercise is recommended for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, it is unclear whether the effects of exercise training on arterial stiffness are the same in older hypertensive individuals as those observed in older healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of exercise training on arterial stiffness between older hypertensive and healthy females.

Methods

Ninety-two females with untreated hypertension and 108 healthy females were randomly assigned to either the control group or to participate in a 12-week training program. In the training groups, the subjects engaged in 90 min of training twice a week for 12 weeks. Each training program included recreational activities, six to eight resistance exercises for circuit training and chair-based exercise for the lower extremities. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and brachial to ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were obtained in the supine position using an automatic pulse wave form analyzer.

Results

Compared with that observed in the control group, greater reductions in the baPWV and SBP/DBP were achieved in both training groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant difference in the delta baPWV values obtained before and after training was noted between the hypertensive (−72.5 ± 8.1 cm s−1) and healthy females (−131.5 ± 107.3 cm s−1) who participated in the training program (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These data indicate that exercise training produces fewer improvements in arterial stiffness in older hypertensive females than in older healthy females.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

baPWV:

Brachial to ankle pulse wave velocity

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

ET-1:

Endothelin-1

HR:

Heart rate

NO:

Nitric oxide

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant-in aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan (15700441). The authors wish to thank Saori Maruoka, Eri Yoshida, Nao Okumura, Maiko Fujisawa, Sumitaka Mori for their skillful assistance with data collection for this study.

Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interests, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Applied Physiology, Institute of Socio-Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijyosanjima, Tokushima, 7708502, Japan

    Hajime Miura, Yukimi Maki & Megumi Sugino

  2. Institute of Tochigi Health and Wellness Foundation, 2-3-5 Higashi-Imaizumi, Utsunomiya, 3210941, Japan

    Yoshinori Takahashi

Authors
  1. Hajime Miura
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  2. Yoshinori Takahashi
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  3. Yukimi Maki
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  4. Megumi Sugino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hajime Miura.

Additional information

Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

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Miura, H., Takahashi, Y., Maki, Y. et al. Effects of exercise training on arterial stiffness in older hypertensive females. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1847–1854 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3168-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3168-y

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