Premium
Effect of cardiovascular exercise on CRP levels in previously sedentary older men and women
Author(s) -
Pence Brandt D.,
Vieira Victoria J.,
Baynard Tracy,
Keylock K. Todd,
Lowder Thomas W.,
Woods Jeffrey A.
Publication year - 2008
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.22.1_supplement.1175.11
Subject(s) - medicine , c reactive protein , type 2 diabetes , inflammation , pathogenesis , endurance training , systemic inflammation , diabetes mellitus , sedentary lifestyle , physical therapy , endocrinology , obesity
Purpose: To assess changes in serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) with 10 mo of cardiovascular exercise training in sedentary 65–80 yr old subjects. Background: CRP is a clinical marker of systemic inflammation, and a chronic inflammatory state has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary heart disease (CHD), which are often found in aged persons. Methods: Sedentary male and female participants (n=120, 70 ± 1 years) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: a cardiovascular exercise group (EX; n = 61) and a flexibility/balance control group (CON; n = 59). EX subjects completed 10 mo of training (3x/wk walking, cycling, elliptical) at 65–70% VO2 max. CON subjects completed flexibility exercises 2x/wk to eliminate attention bias. Serum CRP was analyzed via an enzyme‐linked immunosorbant assay. Results: The EX group showed reduced CRP levels over the course of the intervention (3.66 ± 0.34 vs. 3.22 ± 0.36 mg·L −1 ; P < 0.01), with no reduction in CRP levels in the CON group (3.21 ± 0.28 vs. 3.31 ± 0.28 mg·L −1 ). Conclusion: Ten months of endurance exercise training reduced serum CRP in older subjects exhibiting elevated CRP levels. The reduction in CRP seen with cardiovascular exercise training suggests an overall decrease in systemic inflammation. This may contribute to the reduction in the risk of diseases such as T2D and CHD with exercise. Supported by R01 AG‐18861 to J.A. Woods