Lifestyle intervention improves microvascular reactivity and increases serum adiponectin in overweight hypertensive patients
Received 15 September 2008; received in revised form 28 February 2009; accepted 2 March 2009. published online 28 May 2009.
Abstract
Background and aims
Obesity and hypoadiponectinemia are often associated with high blood pressure. Moreover, microvascular dysfunction is reported to be an early event in patients with hypertension and may be involved in the pathogenesis of organ damage.
Methods and results
We investigated the impact of 8-week moderate-intensity aerobic training on adiponectin plasma levels and skin microvascular reactivity in 24 overweight sedentary patients (18 men, age 44±6 years, body mass index 28±3kg/m2) with never-treated grade 1 essential hypertension. Twenty-four age- and sex-matched hypertensive patients, who were examined twice at 8-week intervals in the absence of exercise training, served as controls. Exercise training was followed by a significant reduction in waist circumference (from 97±9 to 95±9cm, p<0.05) and an increase in adiponectin plasma levels (from 11.9±3 to 12.5±4mg/L, p<0.05). An inverse correlation was found between adiponectin change and waist circumference change (r=−0.43, p<0.05). The area under the curve after post-occlusive reactive hyperemia at skin laser-Doppler examination increased significantly after aerobic training (from 876±539 to 1468±925PU/s, p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between exercise-induced variations of post-occlusive reactive hyperemia and adiponectin plasma levels (r=0.41, p<0.05). Office or 24-h blood pressure values did not change significantly.
Conclusion
In sedentary overweight patients with mild hypertension, moderate aerobic training improves cutaneous microvascular reactivity and adiponectin plasma levels. These changes precede blood pressure reduction and may serve as biomarkers of the efficacy of non-drug treatment in hypertensive patients.
aDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
bInterfaculty School for Motor Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Corresponding author. Unit of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Arteriosclerosis, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia School of Medicine, Hospital “Santa Maria della Misericordia”, Piazzale Menghini, 1 - 06129 Perugia, Italy. Tel.: +39 0755784016; fax: +39 0755784022.
ABSTRACT