Changes in Some Inflammatory Indices in Men with Heart Failure after Eight Weeks of Continuous and Intermittent Aerobic Exercise

Background and objectives: Evidence has shown that inflammatory mediators play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of eight weeks of continuous and intermittent aerobic exercise on some inflammatory indices in men with heart failure. Methods: The effects of continuous aerobic exercise (at 45-70% maximum heart rate) and intermittent aerobic exercise (at 4580% of maximum heart rate) on the level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα ) were evaluated in 42 men with heart failure using commercial ELISA kits. Blood samples were taken after 12 hours of fasting one hour before the first session and 48 hours after the last exercise session. The subjects performed exercises three sessions a week, for eight weeks. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA at significance of 0.05. Results: After the exercise program, serum hs-CRP (P=0.023), IL-6 (P=0.018) and TNF-α (P=0.048) differed significantly between the exercise groups and the control group. In addition, serum levels of IL-6 and hs-CRP decreased slightly in the intermittent aerobic group, but there was no significant difference between the two exercise groups. Intermittent aerobic exercise significantly reduced serum TNFα level compared to the control group. Conclusion: Probably aerobic exercise can have positive effects on the level of hs-CRP, IL-6 and TNFα in patients with heart failure.