ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the interventional effects of 16-week aerobic exercises on the elderly's arteriosclerosis and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#Twenty-seven elderly people with the average age of 62. 70 ±3. 26 joined a 16-week square dance/taijiquan exercise program that conducted 60 minutes each time, six times per week. Arterial stiffness and its related indexes such as systolic pressure(SBP), diastolic pressure(DBP), left brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (L-baPWV), right brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(R-baPWV), left ankle brachial index (L-ABI), right ankle brachial index(R-ABI), serum triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c), superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were detected at 3 time points including before exercise program, by the end of exercise for 8 weeks and 16 weeks.@*RESULTS@#① Compared with pre-exercise, the R-baPWV and R-ABI of the elderly people were decreased at the end of the 8 week, and the L-baPWV, RbaPWV, R-ABI and L-ABI were decreased significantly at the end of the 16 week. ②Compared with pre-exercise, SBP and DBP were declined markedly (<0.01, <0.05) at the end of the 8 week, SBP, DBP and pulse pressure were decreased significantly (<0.01, <0.05) at the end of the 16 week. ③Compared with pre-exercise, TC and LDL-c were declined markedly (<0.01) at the end of the 8 and the 16 week, and there was no difference of the level of TG and LDL-c between pre-exercise and post-exercise. ④There was no evident difference of serum level of SOD, GSH-Px, MDA between pre-exercise and post-exercise at the end of the 8 week. Compared with pre-exercise, the level of serum SOD, GSH-Px was increased evidently while the content of serum MDA was decreased significantly (<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sixteen-week aerobic exercises could reduce baPWV and ABI levels, regulate blood pressure, blood lipids and lipid peroxides levels of the elderly evidently, thus improve the controlling quality of atherosclerosis.