Acute Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Carotid Strain in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONIndividuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) have increased arterial stiffness, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Acute aerobic exercise is a stressor affecting markers of arterial stiffness, such as carotid strain (CS) and beta stiffness index, which provides insight into aspects of arterial function. Individuals with MS may have different responses to exercise compared to healthy individuals due to arterial dysfunction, which can be evaluated via markers of arterial stiffness.PURPOSETo evaluate the acute effect of aerobic exercise on CS in individuals with MS.METHODSSixteen individuals with MS (42 ± 8 yrs; 27.5 ± 6.9 kg/m2) underwent treadmill walking at 60% of their peak aerobic capacity for 20 min. Images of the carotid artery were obtained in the radial view with ultrasonography at baseline, immediate and 30 min post‐exercise. Speckle tracking software was used to calculate the following variables of arterial function: CS, CS time to peak (TPK), CS rate, CS rate TPK, radial velocity (RV), RV TPK, radial displacement (RD) and RD TPK. Carotid systolic blood pressure (cSBP) was measured via applanation tonometry and longitudinal carotid beta stiffness index via ultrasonography.RESULTSSee Table. CS rate, RV and carotid systolic blood pressure (cSBP) increased immediate post‐exercise (p<0.05). CS TPK and RD TPK decreased immediately post‐exercise and RD TPK remained decreased at 30 min post‐exercise (p<0.05). HR and beta stiffness index increased immediately post‐exercise (p<0.05) and returned to baseline at 30 min (p>0.05).CONCLUSIONThe baseline levels of CS in individuals with MS are lower than values reported for middle‐aged adults in the literature, indicative of baseline arterial dysfunction. Beta stiffness index increased immediately after exercise. While CS rate increased after exercise in individuals with MS similar to beta stiffness index, the difference disappeared after statistically controlling for HR. Our results suggest that individuals with MS do not improve arterial stiffness with acute aerobic exercise, providing more evidence for arterial impairment.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.