Physical Activity is Inversely Associated With Arterial Stiffness in Adult Males: A Brief Communication

Physical Activity is Associated With Lower Arterial Stiffness in Patients With Resistant Hypertension

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is associated with reduced arterial stiffness, although such a relationship has not been reported in those with resistant hypertension. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between daily physical activity and arterial stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension.

METHODS

Fifty-seven (57) patients with resistant hypertension (50.9% men), aged 58.8±9.4 years, were consecutively recruited. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). Daily physical activity was objectively assessed with accelerometers during 7 consecutive days.

RESULTS

Patients had a body mass index of 29.0±4.0 kg/m² (84.3% overweight/obese) and were taking an average 4.5 antihypertensive medications. Overall, the cf-PWV was 9.2±2.4 m/s and the majority of participants (n=41, 71.9%) presented a cf-PWV <10 m/s. The cf-PWV showed an inverse correlation with light-intensity physical activity (r = -0.290, p=0.029) and total daily physical activity (r = -0.287, p=0.030). The correlation between light physical activity and cf-PWV remained significant after adjustment for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but lost significance when further adjusted for age.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher daily levels of light-intensity and total physical activity were associated with lower arterial stiffness. Nonetheless, this association is weak and attenuated or abolished when adjusted for blood pressure and age. These results suggest that physical activity may play an important role as a lifestyle intervention for patients with resistant hypertension. Future studies with larger samples sizes are necessary to confirm this preliminary data.

Evaluation of non-invasive arterial stiffness parameters and their relationship with physical activity, anthropometric indices and lipid profiles in healthy middle-aged adults: Results of the PERSIAN cohort study

BACKGROUND

Arterial stiffness (AS) indicates the initial stage of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is associated with modifiable and lifestyle risk factors. We aimed to examine the association of AS with anthropometric indices, lipid profiles and physical activity (PA).

METHODS

Six hundred and fifty-eight healthy middle-aged adults were selected and anthropometric indices [body mass index, waist circumferences (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), neck circumferences, a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), body fat mass (BFM), visceral fat area, fat-free mass (FFM), lipid profiles and PA] were measured. AS is measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and central augmentation index (cAIx).

RESULTS

Our results show that cf-PWV was positively associated with TGs (β = 0.10, P = .01) and anthropometric indices correlated with WC (β = 0.11, P = .02), WHR (β = 0.09, P = .03), WHtR (β = 0.1, P = .02) and BRI (β = 0.09, P = .04). cAIx was independently positively associated with cholesterol (β = 0.08, P = .03), WC (β = 0.1, P = .03), WHR (β = 0.09, P = .02), ABSI (β = 0.09, P = .01), BRI (β = 0.08, P = .05), visceral fat area (β = 0.09, P = .03) and BFM (β = 0.08, P = .04) and negatively associated with PA (β = -0.08, P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

WC, WHR and BRI were associated with both cf-PWV and cAIx. TGs and WHtR were associated with cf-PWV, while cAIx was associated with ABSI, improving these indices may be helpful to prevent CVD.