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Aortic Stiffness in Aging and Hypertension: Prevention and Treatment with Habitual Aerobic Exercise

  • Antihypertensive Agents: Mechanisms of Drug Action (M Ernst, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Habitual aerobic exercise is associated with lower aortic stiffness, as measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV), in middle-aged/older adults without hypertension, but beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on CFPWV in hypertension remain contraversial. Therefore, the focus of this review is to discuss the evidence for and against the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on aortic stiffness in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension, possible limitations in these studies, and highlight novel directions for future research.

Recent Findings

Most randomized controlled intervention studies demonstrate that short-term aerobic exercise results in no reductions in CFPWV in middle-aged and/or older adults with treated or treatment-naïve hypertension. Higher aerobic fitness is not associated with lower aortic stiffness among older adults with treated hypertension.

Summary

Aortic stiffness appears to be resistant to clinically relevant improvements in response to habitual aerobic exercise in the presence of hypertension among middle-aged and older adults.

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Acknowledgements

G.L. Pierce was supported by grants from the American Heart Association (13SDG143400012 and 15SFRN23760002) and National Institutes of Health (AG043722 and HL014388).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, 225 S. Grand Ave, 412 FH, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Gary L. Pierce

  2. UI Healthcare Center for Hypertension Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Gary L. Pierce

  3. Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Gary L. Pierce

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Correspondence to Gary L. Pierce.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Antihypertensive Agents: Mechanisms of Drug Action

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Pierce, G.L. Aortic Stiffness in Aging and Hypertension: Prevention and Treatment with Habitual Aerobic Exercise. Curr Hypertens Rep 19, 90 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-017-0788-0

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