© 2003 by European Society of Cardiology
Copyright © 2003, European Society of Cardiology
Regular exercise, hormone replacement therapy and the age-related decline in carotid arterial compliance in healthy women
aDepartment of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, 354 UCB, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0354, USA
bDivisions of Cardiology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-303-492-3010; fax: +1-303-492-6778. moreauk{at}colorado.edu
Objective: Carotid arterial compliance is reduced with age in sedentary estrogen-deficient women, contributing to the development of cardiovascular disorders. We determined the effects of regular aerobic exercise, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and their interaction on carotid arterial compliance using a combination of cross-sectional and intervention study designs. Methods: Cross-sectionally, we studied three groups of healthy postmenopausal women (50–80 years): 20 sedentary not taking HRT; 24 sedentary taking HRT; and 14 endurance-trained not taking HRT; and 11 sedentary premenopausal controls (20–37 years). In the intervention study, 12 sedentary postmenopausal women (58±3 years) who were taking HRT were studied before and after participation in a 3-month aerobic exercise (walking) program. Carotid arterial compliance was measured via simultaneous common carotid artery ultrasound imaging and applanation tonometry. Results: Cross-sectional study. Carotid arterial compliance was lower (P<0.001) in all three postmenopausal groups compared with premenopausal women. Among the postmenopausal groups, arterial compliance was 33–43% higher in the sedentary HRT and endurance-trained women than in their sedentary estrogen-deficient peers. Intervention study. Arterial compliance increased (P<0.05) by 
40% to levels that were no longer different than premenopausal women. Conclusions: HRT use and regular aerobic exercise are associated with augmented carotid arterial compliance in healthy postmenopausal women. Moderate, short-term aerobic exercise can restore carotid arterial compliance in previously sedentary postmenopausal women taking HRT.
KEYWORDS Aging; Arteries; Gender; Hormones; Ultrasound
1 Present address: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
2 Present address: Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  L. A. Lesniewski, M. L. Connell, J. R. Durrant, B. J. Folian, M. C. Anderson, A. J. Donato, and D. R. Seals B6D2F1 Mice Are a Suitable Model of Oxidative Stress-Mediated Impaired Endothelium-Dependent Dilation With Aging J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, February 10, 2009; (2009) gln049v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. R. Seals, C. A. DeSouza, A. J. Donato, and H. Tanaka Habitual exercise and arterial aging J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2008; 105(4): 1323 - 1332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|