Menopause, Hypertension
Conditions
Keywords
Swimming, Arterial Stiffness, Blood Pressure, Muscular Strength, Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Brief summary
Aging is associated with progressive decreases in arterial health and function as well as overall fitness. It is crucial to prevent or reduce the negative effects of aging on the vasculature and fitness components by implementing appropriate lifestyle interventions, such as exercise training. We examined the effects of a swimming (SWM) regimen on arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV), blood pressure (BP), wave reflection (AIx), muscle strength and aerobic capacity in elderly women with stage 2 hypertension.
Detailed description
Using a parallel experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to either SWM (n=52) or non-exercising control group (n=48) for 20 weeks. Participant in the SWM group trained 3-4 days/week, progressing in duration from 25 to 45 min. Participants' carotid to radial PWV (crPWV), systolic and diastolic BP, AIx, strength and VO2max were measured at baseline and after 20 weeks of their assigned intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSwimming
This group completed 20-weeks of swimming
Sponsors
Marymount University
Dong-Eui University
University of Nebraska
Pusan National University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
65 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* systolic/diastolic BP: 140-179 over 90-119 mm Hg * had experienced the absence of menstruation for at least 1 year * body mass index \<30 kg/m2 * \<1 h of regular exercise per week in the previous year
Exclusion criteria
* Smoker * Taking any medications or hormone therapy in previous year
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arterial Stiffness | 20-weeks | via Pulse Wave Velocity |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Systolic Blood Pressure | 20-weeks | systolic blood pressure |
| Pressure Wave Reflection | 20-weeks | via Augmentation Index |
| Muscular Strength | 20-weeks | via Hand Grip Dynamometer |
| Cardiorespiratory Endurance (Volume of Maximal Oxygen Consumption) | 20-weeks | via Cornell Modified Bruce treadmill volume of oxygen consumption maximum (VO2max) test |
| Diastolic Blood Pressure | 20 weeks | — |
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Swimming Participants performed SWM training (combination of free style, breast stroke, and backstroke) for 20 weeks. For the first 5 weeks subjects swam 25-30 minutes/day, 3-4 days/week at \
60% of maximal heart rate. As their overall level of fitness and exercise skill improved, the intensity and duration of exercise increased to 40-45 minutes/day, 3-4 days/week at an intensity of 70-75% of the HRmax. Target HR was adjusted based on the observation that maximal heart rate during SWM is approximately 12 beats/min lower than that during running. Each subject was instructed to swim continuously except during the time needed for checking a target heart rate
Swimming: This group completed 20-weeks of swimming | 52 |
| Control Participants in the non-exercising control group did not participate in a supervised exercise program and visited the laboratory at the same frequency as participants in the swim intervention and underwent recreational activities such as board games | 48 |
| Total | 100 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Control | Swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 74 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 | 73 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 | 74 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 |
| Arterial stiffness | 9.2 m/s STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.2 | 9.4 m/s STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.2 | 9.0 m/s STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.2 |
| Cardiorespiratory endurance | 23 mL/kg/min STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 | 24 mL/kg/min STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 | 22 mL/kg/min STANDARD_DEVIATION 2 |
| Diastolic Blood Pressure | 90 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.4 | 91 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1 | 88 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.7 |
| Muscular strength | 25 kg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1 | 25 kg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1 | 24 kg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1 |
| Pressure wave reflection | 31 percent STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 | 30 percent STANDARD_DEVIATION 2 | 31 percent STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 100 Participants | 48 Participants | 52 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 100 Participants | 48 Participants | 52 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Systolic Blood Pressure | 145 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.4 | 144 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1 | 146 mmHg STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.7 |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 52 | 0 / 48 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 52 | 0 / 48 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 52 | 0 / 48 |
Outcome results
Primary
Arterial Stiffness
via Pulse Wave Velocity
Time frame: 20-weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Arterial Stiffness | 7.8 m/s | Standard Deviation 0.3 |
| Control | Arterial Stiffness | 10.0 m/s | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
Secondary
Cardiorespiratory Endurance (Volume of Maximal Oxygen Consumption)
via Cornell Modified Bruce treadmill volume of oxygen consumption maximum (VO2max) test
Time frame: 20-weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Cardiorespiratory Endurance (Volume of Maximal Oxygen Consumption) | 26 mL/kg/min | Standard Deviation 3 |
| Control | Cardiorespiratory Endurance (Volume of Maximal Oxygen Consumption) | 23 mL/kg/min | Standard Deviation 4 |
Secondary
Diastolic Blood Pressure
Time frame: 20 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Diastolic Blood Pressure | 79 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) | Standard Deviation 1 |
| Control | Diastolic Blood Pressure | 91 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) | Standard Deviation 1 |
Secondary
Muscular Strength
via Hand Grip Dynamometer
Time frame: 20-weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Muscular Strength | 27 kilograms (kg) | Standard Deviation 1 |
| Control | Muscular Strength | 24 kilograms (kg) | Standard Deviation 1 |
Secondary
Pressure Wave Reflection
via Augmentation Index
Time frame: 20-weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Pressure Wave Reflection | 25 % of wave reflection | Standard Deviation 2 |
| Control | Pressure Wave Reflection | 31 % of wave reflection | Standard Deviation 2 |
Secondary
Systolic Blood Pressure
systolic blood pressure
Time frame: 20-weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Systolic Blood Pressure | 135 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) | Standard Deviation 1 |
| Control | Systolic Blood Pressure | 145 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) | Standard Deviation 1 |