Exercise improve arterial stiffness and benefits in ACVD
A Systematic review entitled "Comparative effectiveness of different types of exercise in reducing arterial stiffness in children and adolescents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis” published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has addressed the role of aerobic exercise in improving arterial stiffness at early ages.
It is already known that considering the aetiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD), Arterial stiffness is an early and detectable marker of vascular changes leading.
There needs to be data on the role of exercise in reducing arterial stiffness in children and adolescents.
This was investigated further in a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) using data sources like Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science.
The study results could be summarised as follows:
- The researchers included Fourteen studies in the analysis.
- Regarding PWV reduction, all exercise modalities had better effectiveness than control, with standardised mean difference ranging from −1.93 and −1.11 for aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), respectively, to −0.59 for combined exercise.
- The researchers recorded the non-superiority of sensorimotor training in the control group.
They said, “The findings of our study find exercise intervention effective and supporting in improving arterial stiffness at early ages.”
It is essential to address ACVD early to mitigate long-term consequences via exercise interventions in children and adolescents with a history of higher arterial stiffness. However, this requires more research and investigation.
Further reading:
Systematic review, Comparative effectiveness of different types of exercise in reducing arterial stiffness in children and adolescents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2023/03/23/bjsports-2022-106285
