A rápida e incontrolável disseminação do novo coronavírus (SARS-CoV-2) pelo mundo aliada à sua gravidade fez com que, no dia 11 de março de 2020, o Diretor-Geral da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) caracterizasse a situação como pandemia. 1 Atualmente, nota-se um esforço cada vez mais intenso por parte das organizações de saúde e do poder público no sentido de conter o avanço e disseminação do SARS-CoV-2. O SARS-CoV-2 emerge como um novo subtipo de síndrome respiratória aguda grave (SARS-CoV) humana caracterizado por alta capacidade de transmissão e indução de quadros de infecção respiratória severa. Estudos recentes demonstraram alta prevalência de hipertensão arterial e diabetes em pacientes idosos acometidos pela COVID-19 que vieram a óbito em Wuhan, China, 2,3 epicentro do surto de SARS-CoV-2, o que sugere que tais comorbidades são importantes fatores de risco para o agravamento e pior prognóstico das complicações associadas ao COVID-19.Diante das recomendações de isolamento social atualmente impostas em vários países, incentivar a manutenção de uma rotina de vida fisicamente ativa por parte da população como uma medida preventiva para a saúde é fundamental durante esse período de enfrentamento contra a disseminação do vírus. Em um período de reclusão domiciliar a população tende a adotar uma rotina sedentária, o que favoreceria a um aumento no ganho de peso corporal e surgimento de comorbidades associadas a maior risco cardiovascular, como obesidade, aumento da pressão arterial, intolerância à glicose, bem como transtornos psicossociais como ansiedade e depressão. De fato, o comportamento sedentário, seja sentado, assistindo TV ou passando tempo em frente a dispositivos eletrônicos, foi associado a aumento do peso corporal em crianças, 4 adolescentes, 5 adultos e idosos 6 e aumento marcante do risco de mortalidade cardiovascular. 7 Por outro lado, o risco de desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares e mortalidade mostra-se reduzido em indivíduos com hábitos de vida fisicamente ativos, como caminhadas de moderada intensidade. 8 Além disto, tem sido demonstrado que o risco de infecção do trato respiratório superior por coronavírus é potencialmente maior na presença de deficiência do sistema imunológico. 9 Neste sentido, a prática de exercício físico como medida benéfica para a melhora da imunidade é fortemente evidenciada na literatura. 10-12 O Colégio Americano de Medicina do Esporte divulgou recentemente um guia em que sugere que a atividade física de intensidade moderada deva ser mantida no período de quarentena em função do SARS-CoV-2, salientando a importância para a saúde de cada minuto fisicamente ativo. 13 Vale lembrar que as recomendações da OMS para indivíduos saudáveis e assintomáticos são de, no mínimo, 150 minutos de atividade física por semana para adultos e 300 minutos de atividade física por semana para crianças e adolescentes. 14 Esse tempo de atividade física deve ser acumulado durante os dias da semana, podendo ser dividido de acordo com a rotina do sujeito, sendo composto preferencialme...

The aging process is associated with alterations in the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems. Autonomic changes related to aging involve parasympathetic and sympathetic alterations leading to a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Several studies have suggested that physical exercise is effective in preventing deleterious changes. Chronic exercise in geriatrics seems to be associated with improvement in the cardiovascular system and seems to promote a healthy lifestyle. In this review, we address the major effects of aging on the autonomic nervous system in the context of cardiovascular control. We examine the use of chronic exercise to prevent cardiovascular changes during the aging process.

Stroke survivors are at substantial risk of recurrent cerebrovascular event or cardiovascular disease. Exercise training offers nonpharmacological treatment for these subjects; however, the execution of the traditional exercise protocols and adherence is constantly pointed out as obstacles. Based on these premises, the present study investigated the impact of an 8-week dynamic resistance training protocol with elastic bands on functional, hemodynamic, and cardiac autonomic modulation, oxidative stress markers, and plasma nitrite concentration in stroke survivors. Twenty-two patients with stroke were randomized into control group (CG, n = 11) or training group (TG, n = 11). Cardiac autonomic modulation, oxidative stress markers, plasma nitrite concentration, physical function and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated before and after 8 weeks. Results indicated that functional parameters (standing up from the sitting position (P = 0.011) and timed up and go (P = 0.042)) were significantly improved in TG. Although not statistically different, both systolic blood pressure (Δ = −10.41 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (Δ = −8.16 mmHg) were reduced in TG when compared to CG. Additionally, cardiac autonomic modulation (sympathovagal balance–LF/HF ratio) and superoxide dismutase were improved, while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and carbonyl levels were reduced in TG when compared to the CG subjects. In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that dynamic resistance training with elastic bands may improve physical function, hemodynamic parameters, autonomic modulation, and oxidative stress markers in stroke survivors. These positive changes would be associated with a reduced risk of a recurrent stroke or cardiac event in these subjects.

Abstract-Adriamycin cardiotoxicity is associated with oxidative stress in the presence of globally depressed cardiac function. It is unknown if there is a similar profile with early diastolic changes and how it relates to baroreflex control of circulation. In this study, we evaluated baroreflex control of circulation in adriamycin-treated Wistar rats compared with controls, using invasive blood pressure recording processed by a data acquisition system (CODAS, 1 KHz). Baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated by modulating blood pressure with phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside. Oxidative stress was quantified by chemiluminescence and by glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity. Diastolic dysfunction was characterized by increased left ventricle end-diastolic pressure in adriamycin-treated rats compared with controls with preserved ascending aortic flow. Baroreflex sensitivity in response to blood pressure elevation and reduction were similar in adriamycin (Ϫ2Ϯ0.27 and Ϫ3.19Ϯ0.56 bpm/mm Hg) and control rats (Ϫ1.35Ϯ0.15 and Ϫ2.52Ϯ0.39 bpm/mm Hg). Chemiluminescence was higher (20450Ϯ1286 versus 16517Ϯ1020 counts per second/mg protein) and glutathione peroxidase activity was lower (45.6Ϯ4.3 versus 76.4Ϯ6.9 mol ⅐ min Ϫ1 ⅐ mg Ϫ1 protein) in adriamycin rats compared with controls. Inverse correlations were observed between glutathione peroxidase activity and left ventricle Pϭ0.02), between baroreflex sensitivity to phenylephrine and left ventricle end-diastolic pressure (rϭϪ0. 77, Pϭ0.004), and between chemiluminescence and baroreflex sensitivity to sodium nitroprusside (rϭϪ0.75, Pϭ0.02), whereas a positive correlation was observed between baroreflex sensitivity to sodium nitroprusside and glutathione peroxidase activity (rϭ0.7, Pϭ0.04). Thus, adriamycin led to increased left ventricle end-diastolic pressure without changes in baroreflex sensitivity, and associated increased oxidative stress appeared to be related to reduction of reflex control of circulation. Key Words: heart failure Ⅲ blood pressure Ⅲ baroreflex Ⅲ oxidative stress Ⅲ adriamycin Ⅲ rat A driamycin-induced cardiac toxicity remains a major limitation to its use as an antineoplastic agent. In humans, this cardiac toxicity appears to be dose dependent. Total dose of 550 mg/m 2 of adriamycin is considered the upper limit to be used, because of the high risk for cardiotoxicity. The clinical course of adriamycin-induced heart failure may vary, but mortality rates can reach 20%. 1 Several mechanisms are thought to be involved in the development of adriamycin-induced heart failure. Experimental studies devoted to this issue indicate that oxidative stress injury, inflammatory injury, calcium overload, and sympathetic overdrive are likely to be involved once a systolic dysfunction is present. 2,3 In fact, impairment of baroreflex control of circulation has been demonstrated in adriamycin-treated rabbits in the presence of systolic left ventricular dysfunction. 4,5 However, as diastolic dysfunction usually occurs before systolic dysfunction in the course of heart fail...

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an obesity-associated disorder of pandemic proportions and limited treatment options. Oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation and altered neural autonomic regulation, are important components and drivers of pathogenesis. Galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and a cholinergic drug that is clinically-approved (for Alzheimer's disease) has been implicated in neural cholinergic regulation of inflammation in several conditions characterized with immune and metabolic derangements. Here we examined the effects of galantamine on oxidative stress in parallel with inflammatory and cardio-metabolic parameters in subjects with MetS.Trial Design and Methods: The effects of galantamine treatment, 8 mg daily for 4 weeks or placebo, followed by 16 mg daily for 8 weeks or placebo were studied in randomly assigned subjects with MetS (n = 22 per group) of both genders. Oxidative stress, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase activities, lipid and protein peroxidation, and nitrite levels were analyzed before and at the end of the treatment. In addition, plasma cytokine and adipokine levels, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and other relevant cardio-metabolic indices were analyzed. Autonomic regulation was also examined by heart rate variability (HRV) before treatment, and at every 4 weeks of treatment.Results: Galantamine treatment significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, including SOD [+1.65 USOD/mg protein, [95% CI 0.39–2.92], P = 0.004] and CAT [+0.93 nmol/mg, [95% CI 0.34–1.51], P = 0.01], decreased lipid peroxidation [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [log scale 0.72 pmol/mg, [95% CI 0.46–1.07], P = 0.05], and systemic nitrite levels [log scale 0.83 μmol/mg protein, [95% CI 0.57–1.20], P = 0.04] compared with placebo. In addition, galantamine significantly alleviated the inflammatory state and insulin resistance, and decreased the low frequency/high frequency ratio of HRV, following 8 and 12 weeks of drug treatment.Conclusion: Low-dose galantamine alleviates oxidative stress, alongside beneficial anti-inflammatory, and metabolic effects, and modulates neural autonomic regulation in subjects with MetS. These findings are of considerable interest for further studies with the cholinergic drug galantamine to ameliorate MetS.