Abstract-Aerobic exercise training increases arterial compliance and reduces systolic blood pressure, but the effects of muscular strength training on arterial mechanical properties are unknown. We compared blood pressure, whole body arterial compliance, aortic impedance, aortic stiffness (measured by ␤-index and carotid pulse pressure divided by normalized systolic expansion Femoral-dorsalis pedis pulse wave velocity was also higher in the athletes, but carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was not different. Furthermore, both carotid (56Ϯ3 versus 44Ϯ2 mm Hg; PϽ0.001) and brachial (60Ϯ3 versus 50Ϯ2 mm Hg; PϽ0.01) pulse pressures were higher in the athletes, but mean arterial pressure and resting heart rate did not differ between groups. These data indicate that both the proximal aorta and the leg arteries are stiffer in strength-trained individuals and contribute to a higher cardiac afterload. (Hypertension. 1999;33:1385-1391.) Key Words: mechanical properties, arterial Ⅲ stiffness Ⅲ compliance Ⅲ exercise A rterial compliance plays a role in determining both arterial systolic and diastolic pressure and therefore, in a clinical context, influences left ventricular size and function, coronary blood flow, and the risk of cerebrovascular accidents. [1][2][3] In the past, measures of arterial compliance in humans have been invasive, and therefore surrogate measures such as peripheral pulse pressure have been applied to investigate potential relationships with clinical outcomes. Pulse pressure correlates closely with serious cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarction, 4 thus highlighting arterial compliance as a potential target for risk reduction therapy.Arterial compliance decreases with increasing age, 5-8 in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, 5,9 -12 and in hypertensive individuals. [13][14][15] Aerobic exercise has welldocumented efficacy for cardiovascular risk reduction, and it appears that at least part of its benefit derives from modification of arterial properties. In cross-sectional studies, aerobically trained athletes have a higher arterial compliance than sedentary individuals. 6,16,17 Furthermore, arterial compliance is elevated independently of blood pressure reduction in previously sedentary males after a 4-week program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training. 18 These data suggest that aerobic exercise structurally modifies the large arteries, a postulate supported by studies of ex vivo aortic properties in rats, after 16 weeks of spontaneous running. 19,20 While aerobic exercise is widely recommended as a preventative and therapeutic strategy, resistance-style training is becoming more popular, although it is less well studied with respect to its effects on blood pressure, and no previous study has examined arterial mechanical properties in this context. High-level resistance training is associated with abrupt and large pressor responses 21 and in the long term leads to a concentric ventricular hypertrophy. [22][23][24][25] We hypothesize that arterial mechanical modifica...

The increased SAC and decreased PWV in women receiving hormonal therapy suggest that such therapy may decrease stiffness of the aorta and large arteries in postmenopausal women, with potential benefit for age-related cardiovascular disorders. The reduction of arterial compliance with age appears to be altered with hormonal therapy.

In men and women matched for mean pressures, the age-related stiffening of large arteries is more pronounced in women, which is consistent with changes in female hormonal status.

Within a patient group with moderate CAD, large artery stiffness was a major determinant of myocardial ischemic threshold.

Abstract-The present study characterized large-artery properties in patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and determined the efficacy of exercise training in modifying these properties. Twenty patients (10 male and 10 female) with stage I ISH and 20 age-and gender-matched control subjects were recruited, and large-artery properties were assessed noninvasively. Ten ISH patients (5 male and 5 female) were enrolled in a randomized crossover study comparing 8 weeks of moderate intensity cycling with 8 weeks of sedentary activity. Brachial and carotid systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse pressures were higher in the ISH group than in the control group. Systemic arterial compliance (0.43Ϯ0.04 versus 0.29Ϯ0.02 arbitrary compliance units for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.01) was lower, and carotid-to-femoral pulse-wave velocity (9.67Ϯ0.36 versus 11.43Ϯ0.51 m · s Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.007), input impedance (2.39Ϯ0.19 versus 3.27Ϯ0.34 mm Hg · s · cm Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.04), and characteristic impedance (1.67Ϯ0.17 versus 2.34Ϯ0.27 mm Hg · s · cm Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.05) were higher in the ISH group than in the control group. Training increased maximal oxygen consumption by 13Ϯ5% (Pϭ0.04) and maximum workload by 8Ϯ4% (Pϭ0.05); however, there was no effect on arterial mechanical properties, blood lipids, or left ventricular mass or function. These results suggest that the large-artery stiffening associated with ISH is resistant to modification through short-term aerobic training. (Hypertension. 2001;38:222-226.)