Impact of gender on benefits of exercise training on sympathetic nerve activity and muscle blood flow in heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the effects of exercise training on neurovascular control and functional capacity in men and women with chronic heart failure (HF).


RESULTS
Forty consecutive HF outpatients from the Heart Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil were divided into the following four groups matched by age: men exercise-trained (n = 12), men untrained (n = 10), women exercise-trained (n = 9), women untrained (n = 9). Maximal exercise capacity was determined from a maximal progressive exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was recorded directly using the technique of microneurography. There were no differences between groups in any baseline parameters. Exercise training produced a similar reduction in resting MSNA (P = 0.000002) and forearm vascular resistance (P = 0.0003), in men and women with HF. Peak VO(2) was similarly increased in men and women with HF (P = 0.0003) and VE/VCO(2) slope was significantly decreased in men and women with HF (P = 0.0007). There were no significant changes in left-ventricular ejection fraction in men and women with HF.


CONCLUSIONS
The benefits of exercise training on neurovascular control and functional capacity in patients with HF are independent of gender.
Antunes-Correa
Ligia M
LM
Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, Av. Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 Cerqueira Cesar, São Paulo SP CEP 05403-904, Brazil.
Melo
Ruth C
RC
Nobre
Thais S
TS
Ueno
Linda M
LM
Franco
Fabio G M
FG
Braga
Ana M W
AM
Rondon
Maria U P B
MU
Brum
Patricia C
PC
Barretto
Antonio C P
AC
Middlekauff
Holly R
HR
Negrao
Carlos E
CE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012737:Sex Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome