title: Aerobic training restores arterial baroreflex sensitivity in older adults with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lowered baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) predicts mortality and occurs with increasing age and diabetes. We examined whether aerobic exercise could restore arterial BRS in adults at high cardiovascular risk (diabetes, geriatric age group, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled, single-blind study.
  
  
  METHODS
  VITALiTY (Vancouver Initiative to Add Life to Years) Research Laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine older adults (mean age, 71.5 +/- 0.7 years) with diet-controlled or oral hypoglycemic-controlled type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were recruited to each of 2 groups: an aerobic group (3 months of vigorous aerobic exercise as defined by 80% to 85% of maximal heart rate), and a nonaerobic (no aerobic exercise) group. Exercise sessions were supervised by a certified exercise trainer 3 times per week.
  
  
  METHODS
  : Baroreflex function was assessed using the spontaneous baroreflex method. Main outcome measures included BRS, BRS(up), BRS(down), and [latin capital V with dot above]o(2)max.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aerobic group demonstrated an increase in BRS that was not demonstrated in the nonaerobic group (+60.9 +/- 23.5 vs +2.2 +/- 7.9%; P = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that a relatively short aerobic exercise intervention can reverse functional impairments of the arterial baroreflex function in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: VITALiTY (Vancouver Initiative to Add Life to Years) Research Laboratory, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. kmmadden@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lockhart
authors.forename: Tiffany F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: Darcye
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cuff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method