Abstract
BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of the aged and contributes to a significant amount of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Exercise training may be beneficial in attenuating the cardiovascular maladaptations associated with DM-2. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise training on left ventricular (LV) and vascular function in a sample of postmenopausal women with DM-2.MethodsTwenty-eight postmenopausal women with DM-2 (age: 59 ± 7 yrs) were assigned to either an exercise training (ET) (n = 17) or control group (CT) (n = 7). Cardiorespiratory fitness (), LV filling dynamics and arterial compliance were assessed at baseline in all participants. The ET group performed a supervised aerobic and resistance training intervention three days per week for a period of 10 weeks, while the CT group continued normal activities of daily living.ResultsBody mass index, , age and duration of diabetes were similar between the ET and CT groups at baseline. (21.3 ± 3.3 to 24.5 ± 4.2 ml·kg-1·min-1, p < 0.05) and large artery compliance (1.0 ± 0.4 to 1.2 ± 0.4 mL·mmHg-1, p < 0.05), increased significantly in the ET group following training despite no change in LV filling dynamics, blood pressure, lipid profile or insulin sensitivity. All variables remained unchanged in the CT group.ConclusionsExercise training improves large artery compliance and cardiorespiratory fitness in postmenopausal women with DM-2, without any appreciable changes in LV filling dynamics or conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Highlights
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of the aged and contributes to a significant amount of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality
The remaining eleven participants in the exercise training (ET) group completed 92 ± 3% of the exercise sessions. Individuals in this investigation were treated for diabetes through diet and exercise (n = 5) or oral hypoglycemic agents (n = 13), while no participants were on insulin therapy
There were no significant differences in conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, lipid profile, hormone replacement therapy or fasting insulin or glucose levels between the two groups
Summary
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of the aged and contributes to a significant amount of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence suggests that cardiac [3] and vascular [4] maladaptations, such as impaired left ventricular (LV) filling dynamics [5] and increased arterial stiffness [4], may contribute to these observations. Exercise training has been shown to reduce CVD mortality and morbidity with senescence possibly by attenuating age-associated declines in LV filling dynamics [6], arterial compliance [7] and endothelial control of vascular tone [8]. It has been hypothesized that the cardiovascular maladaptations associated with aging are secondary to reduced physical activity patterns rather than senescence. We proposed that exercise training favorably modulates cardiovascular parameters associated with CVD in individuals with DM-2
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