Regular aerobic-endurance exercise attenuates age-related reductions in central arterial compliance and restores levels in previously sedentary healthy middle-aged and older men. This may be one mechanism by which habitual exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease in this population.

Our results indicate that regular aerobic exercise can prevent the age-associated loss in endothelium-dependent vasodilation and restore levels in previously sedentary middle aged and older healthy men. This may represent an important mechanism by which regular aerobic exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease in this population.

Abstract-Increased arterial stiffness is thought to contribute to the increased incidence of cardiovascular disease with age.Little, however, is known about the influence of aging on central and peripheral arterial stiffness in females. Moreover, it is unknown whether physical activity status influences age-related increases in arterial stiffness in females. Arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI, applanation tonometry) were measured in 53 healthy females, including 10 premenopausal (Pre-S) and 18 postmenopausal (Post-S) sedentary women, and 9 premenopausal (Pre-PA) and 16 postmenopausal (Post-PA) physically active women. In the sedentary women, there were no age-related differences in arterial blood pressure, but aortic PWV and carotid AI (measures of central arterial stiffness) were higher (PϽ.01) in Post-S versus Pre-S (1065Ϯ110 versus 690Ϯ80 cm/sec and 16.5%Ϯ1.8% versus 0.3%Ϯ1.6%, respectively); however, there were no significant differences in leg and arm PWV (measures of peripheral arterial stiffness). Systolic and mean arterial blood pressures were higher (PϽ.05) in Post-PA versus Pre-PA. Despite this and in contrast to the sedentary women, aortic PWV and AI were not different in Post-PA versus Pre-PA. Stepwise multiple regression indicated that maximal oxygen consumption, plasma total cholesterol, and plasma LDL-cholesterol were significant independent predictors and together explained up to 50% of the variability in central arterial stiffness. We concluded that (1) central, but not peripheral, arterial stiffness increases with age in sedentary healthy females in the absence of age-related increases in arterial blood pressure; (2) significant age-related increases in central arterial stiffness are not observed in highly physically active women; and (3) Key Words: exercise Ⅲ aging Ⅲ pulse wave velocity Ⅲ augmentation index Ⅲ arterial compliance T he stiffness of the "central" arteries (eg, aortic, carotid) increases with age in males, 1-3 as indicated by an increase in PWV or earlier pressure wave reflections (ie, increased AI). 1-3These increases in arterial stiffness are thought to contribute to age-related increases in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. 4,5Much less is known about the influence of aging on arterial stiffness in females. A recent report from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) 2 found that aortic PWV and carotid AI increased progressively with age in 50 healthy females (26 to 96 years) in whom only modest age-related increases in blood pressure were observed. No data are available, however, regarding the effects of aging on peripheral arterial stiffness in healthy females. This is noteworthy in that the elastic properties of arteries are not necessarily uniform, 3 and aging has been reported to have different effects on the stiffness of peripheral (eg, brachial and radial) and central arteries in men. 6 Regular physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. 7,8 In the BLSA mentioned above, older adult males who per...

Aging affects the function and structure of arteries and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In healthy sedentary adults, aging is associated with increased stiffness (reduced compliance) of large elastic arteries; impaired vascular endothelial function, including reductions in endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (fibrinolytic capacity) and endothelial progenitor cell number and function; increased intima-media wall thickness (IMT); and peripheral vasoconstriction (decreased basal leg blood flow). Habitual physical activity/increased aerobic exercise capacity is associated with reduced risk of CVD. Compared with their sedentary peers, adults who regularly perform aerobic exercise demonstrate smaller or no age-associated increases in large elastic artery stiffness, reductions in vascular endothelial function, and increases in femoral artery IMT. A short-term, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention (brisk daily walking for 12 wk) improves carotid artery compliance and can restore vascular endothelial function in previously sedentary middle-aged and older adults. Reduced oxidative stress may be an important mechanism contributing to these effects. Habitual resistance exercise increases (high-intensity) or does not affect (moderate-intensity) large elastic artery stiffness, and prevents/restores the age-associated reduction in basal leg blood flow independent of changes in leg fat-free mass. Habitual exercise favorably modulates several expressions of arterial aging, thus preserving vascular function and possibly reducing the risk of CVD.