Blood pressure response to graded bicycle exercise in males and females across the age and fitness spectrum.

AIM: Blood pressure (BP) responses to exercise are frequently measured, with the concern that greater increases are a marker of disease. We sought to characterize the normal exercise BP response in healthy adults and its relationships with age, sex, and fitness. METHODS: 589 participants (median age 46 [IQR 24-56] years, 81% male) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing with repeated, automated BP measures. An exaggerated maximal systolic BP (SBPmax) was defined from current guidelines as ≥210 mmHg in males and ≥190 mmHg in females. Individual linear regression analyses defined the relationship between BP and workload (SBP/W-slope and DBP/W-slope). Participants with or without an exaggerated SBPmax and above or below median SBP/W-slope were compared. RESULTS: An exaggerated SBPmax was found in 51% of males and 64% of females and was more prevalent in endurance-trained athletes (males 58%, females 72%, p<0.001). The mean SBP/W-slope was lower in males (0.24±0.10 mmHg/W) than females (0.27±0.12 mmHg/W), p=0.031. In both sexes, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was inversely correlated with SBP/W-slope (p<0.01). Those with an exaggerated SBPmax and below-median SBP/W-slope were 10 years younger and had a 20% higher VO2peak, on average (p<0.001). A non-exaggerated SBPmax and above-median SBP/W-slope was observed in older individuals with the lowest VO2peak. CONCLUSION: In a large cohort of healthy individuals, an exaggerated SBPmax was common and associated with higher fitness. In contrast, higher SBP indexed to workload was associated with older age, lower fitness, and female sex. Thus, sex, age and fitness should be considered when evaluating BP response to exercise.

We evaluated the predictors of blood pressure responses to exercise in 589 healthy individuals. We showed that there is a strong, positive relationship between the increase in systolic blood pressure during exercise with cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise workload.During intensive exercise, high maximal systolic blood pressures are more prevalent in young fit individuals than older, less fit individuals. Systolic blood pressure measures are higher in females than males when indexed to workload.Previous diagnostic cut-offs for peak exercise blood pressure are frequently exceeded in healthy individuals and are likely to have poor disease specificity. Workload-indexed exercise blood pressure is therefore a more informative metric than peak exercise blood pressure.

Reduced Ejection Fraction in Elite Endurance Athletes: Clinical and Genetic Overlap With Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced cardiac remodeling can be profound, resulting in clinical overlap with dilated cardiomyopathy, yet the significance of reduced ejection fraction (EF) in athletes is unclear. The aim is to assess the prevalence, clinical consequences, and genetic predisposition of reduced EF in athletes. METHODS: Young endurance athletes were recruited from elite training programs and underwent comprehensive cardiac phenotyping and genetic testing. Those with reduced EF using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (defined as left ventricular EF <50%, or right ventricular EF <45%, or both) were compared with athletes with normal EF. A validated polygenic risk score for indexed left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESVi-PRS), previously associated with dilated cardiomyopathy, was assessed. Clinical events were recorded over a mean of 4.4 years. RESULTS: Of the 281 elite endurance athletes (22±8 years, 79.7% male) undergoing comprehensive assessment, 44 of 281 (15.7%) had reduced left ventricular EF (N=12; 4.3%), right ventricular EF (N=14; 5.0%), or both (N=18; 6.4%). Reduced EF was associated with a higher burden of ventricular premature beats (13.6% versus 3.8% with >100 ventricular premature beats/24 h; P=0.008) and lower left ventricular global longitudinal strain (-17%±2% versus -19%±2%; P<0.001). Athletes with reduced EF had a higher mean LVESVi-PRS (0.57±0.13 versus 0.51±0.14; P=0.009) with athletes in the top decile of LVESVi-PRS having an 11-fold increase in the likelihood of reduced EF compared with those in the bottom decile (P=0.034). Male sex and higher LVESVi-PRS were the only significant predictors of reduced EF in a multivariate analysis that included age and fitness. During follow-up, no athletes developed symptomatic heart failure or arrhythmias. Two athletes died, 1 from trauma and 1 from sudden cardiac death, the latter having a reduced right ventricular EF and a LVESVi-PRS >95%. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced EF occurs in approximately 1 in 6 elite endurance athletes and is related to genetic predisposition in addition to exercise training. Genetic and imaging markers may help identify endurance athletes in whom scrutiny about long-term clinical outcomes may be appropriate. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=374976&isReview=true; Unique identifier: ACTRN12618000716268.

Too Little of a Good Thing: Strong Associations Between Cardiac Size and Fitness Among Women.

BACKGROUND: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with functional impairment and cardiac events, particularly heart failure (HF). However, the factors predisposing women to low CRF and HF remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the association between CRF and measures of ventricular size and function and to examine the potential mechanism linking these factors. METHODS: A total of 185 healthy women aged >30 years (51 ± 9 years) underwent assessment of CRF (peak volume of oxygen uptake [Vo2peak]) and biventricular volumes at rest and during exercise by using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The relationships among Vo2peak, cardiac volumes, and echocardiographic measures of systolic and diastolic function were assessed using linear regression. The effect of cardiac size on cardiac reserve (change in cardiac function during exercise) was assessed by comparing quartiles of resting left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV). RESULTS: Vo2peak was strongly associated with resting measures of LVEDV and right ventricular end-diastolic volume (R2 = 0.58-0.63; P < 0.0001), but weakly associated with measures of resting left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function (R2 = 0.01-0.06; P < 0.05). Increasing LVEDV quartiles were positively associated with cardiac reserve, with the smallest quartile showing the smallest reduction in LV end-systolic volume (quartile [Q]1: -4 mL vs Q4: -12 mL), smallest augmentation in LV stroke volume (Q1: +11 mL vs Q4: +20 mL) and cardiac output (Q1: +6.6 L/min vs Q4: +10.3 L/min) during exercise (interaction P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: A small ventricle is strongly associated with low CRF because of the combined effect of a smaller resting stroke volume and an attenuated capacity to increase with exercise. The prognostic implications of low CRF in midlife highlight the need for further longitudinal studies to determine whether women with small ventricles are predisposed to functional impairment, exertional intolerance, and HF later in life.

Exercise for the Prevention of Anthracycline-Induced Functional Disability and Cardiac Dysfunction: The BREXIT Study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy (AC) have increased risk of functional limitation and cardiac dysfunction. We conducted a 12-month randomized controlled trial in 104 patients with early-stage breast cancer scheduled for AC to determine whether 12 months of exercise training (ExT) could attenuate functional disability (primary end point), improve cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak), and prevent cardiac dysfunction. METHODS: Women 40 to 75 years of age with stage I to III breast cancer scheduled for AC were randomized to 3 to 4 days per week aerobic and resistance ExT for 12 months (n=52) or usual care (UC; n=52). Functional measures were performed at baseline, at 4 weeks after AC (4 months), and at 12 months, comprising: (1) cardiopulmonary exercise testing to quantify VO2peak and functional disability (VO2peak ≤18.0 mL·kg-1·min-1); (2) cardiac reserve (response from rest to peak exercise), quantified with exercise cardiac magnetic resonance measures to determine changes in left and right ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, and stroke volume; (3) standard-of-care echocardiography-derived resting left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain; and (4) biochemistry (troponin and BNP [B-type natriuretic peptide]). RESULTS: Among 104 participants randomized, greater study attrition was observed among UC participants (P=0.031), with 93 women assessed at 4 months (ExT, n=49; UC, n=44) and 87 women assessed at 12 months (ExT, n=49; UC, n=38). ExT attenuated functional disability at 4 months (odds ratio, 0.32 [95% CI, 0.11-0.94]; P=0.03) but not at 12 months (odds ratio, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.06-1.12]; P=0.07). In a per-protocol analysis, functional disability was prevented entirely at 12 months among participants adherent to ExT (ExT, 0% versus UC, 20%; P=0.005). Compared with UC at 12 months, ExT was associated with a net 3.5-mL·kg-1·min-1 improvement in VO2peak that coincided with greater cardiac output, stroke volume, and left and right ventricular ejection fraction reserve (P<0.001 for all). There was no effect of ExT on resting measures of left ventricular function. Postchemotherapy troponin increased less in ExT than in UC (8-fold versus 16-fold increase; P=0.002). There were no changes in BNP in either group. CONCLUSIONS: In women with early-stage breast cancer undergoing AC, 12 months of ExT did not attenuate functional disability, but provided large, clinically meaningful benefits on VO2peak and cardiac reserve. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/; Unique identifier: ACTRN12617001408370.

Efficacy of meal replacements versus a standard food-based diet for weight loss in type 2 diabetes: a controlled clinical trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of a portion-controlled meal replacement diet (PCD) to a standard diet (SD) based on recommendations by the American Diabetes Association in achieving and maintaining weight loss among obese participants with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This study is a university-based, controlled clinical trial. Participants were 119 men and women with diabetes with a body mass index between 25 and 40 kg/m(2), assigned randomly to one of two 34-week, 75% of predicted energy need diets (portion controlled or standard, self-selected, food based) and then followed by 1-year maintenance. RESULTS: Using intention-to-treat analyses, weight loss at 34 weeks and weight maintenance at 86 weeks was significantly better on PCD versus SD. Approximately 40% of the PCD participants lost > or =5% of their initial weight compared with 12% of those on the SD. Significant improvements in biochemical and metabolic measures were observed at 34 weeks in both groups. The retention rate and self-reported ease of adherence in the PCD group were significantly higher throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: A diet using portion-controlled meal replacements yielded significantly greater initial weight loss and less regain after 1 year of maintenance than a standard, self-selected, food-based diet. As PCDs may help obese patients with type 2 diabetes adhere to a weight control program, diabetes educators may consider recommending them as part of a comprehensive approach to weight control.