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The Relationship Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Middle Cerebral Artery Velocity in Women
Author(s) -
Zeller Niklaus,
Miller Kathleen,
Howery Anna,
Eldridge Marlowe,
Brassard Patrice,
Labrecque Lawrence,
Billinger Sandra,
Barnes Jill
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.01732
Subject(s) - cardiorespiratory fitness , transcranial doppler , vo2 max , medicine , middle cerebral artery , physical therapy , physical fitness , demography , cardiology , blood pressure , heart rate , ischemia , sociology
Age‐related declines in cerebral blood flow have been linked to greater risk for cognitive decline. Habitual exercise is recommended to prevent or delay cognitive impairment. Previous studies have found a positive correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) in men; however, there is limited data on this relationship in women. This study aimed to examine the relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness, age and MCAv in women. We hypothesized that MCAv would decline with advancing age and there would be a positive association between MCAv and cardiorespiratory fitness in women. Data from 74 women (age = 46 ± 21 y, range = 18 – 83 yrs.) were collected at 4 institutions (University of Kansas Medical Center; University of Wisconsin‐Madison; Université Laval; Mayo Clinic) as part of previously conducted studies. All participants were determined to be of low risk for cardiovascular disease according to the American College of Sports Medicine criteria. MCAv, mean arterial pressure, end tidal carbon dioxide and cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen consumption: VO 2 max) were retrieved from study records. MCAv was collected unilaterally at rest using a transcranial Doppler ultrasound. VO 2 max was collected during either cycling ergometry (n = 61) or treadmill ergometry (n = 13) tests. Associations were assessed using a Pearson product‐moment correlation. In the 74 women, the absolute VO 2 max was 2089 ± 622 ml·min ‐1 and average relative VO 2 max was 34 ± 10 ml·kg ‐1 ·min ‐1 . The average MCAv for the entire group was 64 ± 16 cm·s ‐1 . As expected, there was an inverse association between age and MCAv (r = ‐0.310; p = 0.007) such that women who were older demonstrated lower MCAv. There was a positive association between absolute VO 2 max and MCAv (r = 0.310; p = 0.007). Likewise, there was a positive association between relative VO 2 max and MCAv (r = 0.309; p = 0.007) such that women with higher cardiorespiratory fitness demonstrated higher MCAv. However, the relationship between VO 2 max and MCAv was no longer significant when adjusted for age (absolute VO 2 max; r = ‐0.105, p = 0.375; relative VO 2 max; r = ‐0.089, p = 0.452). Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with MCAv in women. This suggests that habitual exercise may be protective against age‐related declines in cerebral blood flow. However, because the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and MCAv is attenuated when it is adjusted for age, future studies could utilize non‐linear modeling to understand how age, MCAv and cardiorespiratory fitness are related in women.