58. Effects of regular exercise and weight loss on inflammatory biomarkers in individuals with high blood pressure

Abstract

Increased cardiorespiratory fitness and decreased weight are associated with a reduced inflammatory state. This study prospectively examined contributions of cardiopulmonary fitness, BMI, and BP on circulating IL-6 and TNF-αin 34 pre-hypertensive (BP > 120/80 < 140/90 mmHg) and 37 hypertensive (BP >140/90 < 179/109 mmHg) sedentary men and women (20–60 years; BMI 23.5–36 kg/m2). Participants were randomized to a 3-month: exercise intervention, exercise plus diet (DASH diet) intervention, or waitlist control. Cardiorespiratory fitness (mL/kg/min) increased ( F = 8.37; p < 0.001), BP decreased ( F = 3.56; p = 0.03), and BMI marginally decreased ( F = 2.86; p = 0.064) in the exercise and exercise plus diet groups but not in the waitlist group. Linear regressions predicting post-intervention inflammatory markers included independent variables: the respective pre-intervention inflammatory marker; age & gender; pre- and post-intervention BMI; pre- and post-intervention cardiorespiratory fitness; pre- and post-intervention BP; total minutes spent on cardio and total minutes spent on weights. Post-intervention TNF-αwas predicted by pre-intervention TNF-α(beta = 0.621; p < 0.001) and total cardio exercise minutes (beta = −0.235; p = 0.018) (final model R = 0.667; F = 20.6; p < 0.001). Post-intervention IL-6 was predicted by pre-intervention IL-6 (beta = .344; p = 0.004), pre- (beta = 1.34; p = 0.004) and post- (beta = −1.08; p = 0.018) intervention BMI and total exercise (beta = .328; p = 0.006) (final model R = 0.662; F = 8.9; p < 0.001). Findings indicate that the anti-inflammatory benefit of regular exercise is derived from the time spent regularly exercising (independent of actual improved cardiorespiratory fitness) and/or the existing as well as change in body mass.