Abstract
Age and physical inactivity are important risk factors for cardiovascular mortality. Heart rate response to exercise (HRRE) and heart rate recovery (HRR), measures of cardiac autonomic function, are strong predictors of mortality. The present study defined the effect of age and physical activity on HRRE and HRR. Healthy women (N=72) grouped according to age (young, 20-30 years; middle, 40-50 years; and older, 65-81 years) and daily physical activity (low active <7500, high active >12,500 steps/day) performed a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. The HRRE was defined as an increase in heart rate from rest to 1, 3 and 5 minutes of exercise and at 1/3 of total exercise time, and HRR as the difference in heart rate between peak exercise and 1, 2, and 3 minutes later. Age was associated with a significant decline in HRRE at 1 min and 1/3 of exercise time (r= − 0.27, p=0.04, and r=−0.39, p=0.02) and HRR at 2 min and 3 min (r=−0.35, p=0.01, and r=−0.31, p=0.02). There was no significant difference in HRRE and HRR between high and low-active middle-age and older women (p>0.05). Increased level of habitual physical activity level appears to have a limited effect on age-related decline in cardiac autonomic function in women.
Highlights
Age is the major risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases
heart rate recovery (HRR) at two minutes following exercise was significantly lower in older group (p
Heart rate response to exercise and recovery is an established measure of cardiac autonomic function and strong indicator of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality [7,8,9,10]
Summary
Age is the major risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. The number of people of the age 65 and above increases rapidly and will continue to do so in the 20 years [1]. By 2030 approximately 20% of the population will be aged 65 and older In this particular age group cardiac disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and accounts for 40% of all deaths [1]. Aging is associated with an increased incidence and prevalence of hypertension, coronary artery disease and heart failure [2]. Chronological age, in the absence of apparent cardiac disease, leads to concentric cardiac remodelling and a decline in diastolic function, cardiac metabolism, and maximal performance [3]. These subclinical changes may lead to cardiac pathology and increased incidence of heart failure in older age [2]
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