Increased leg blood flow and improved femoral artery shear patterns in metabolic syndrome after a diet and exercise programme.
BACKGROUND
Altered vascular shear profiles may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Physical activity promotes anti-atherogenic shear patterns, resulting in reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Adults with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) are at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Thus, we hypothesized that conduit artery antegrade shear rate (ASR) would increase and retrograde shear rate (RSR) and oscillatory shear indices (OSI) would decrease in MetSyn patients (n = 16, 51 ± 2 years) after participation in a diet and exercise programme (DEP).


METHODS
Blood flow (Doppler ultrasound, brachial and femoral arteries) was measured, and shear rates were calculated in MetSyn patients before and after 12 weeks of DEP participation. In addition, plasma samples were collected to measure atherogenic markers.


RESULTS
Diet and exercise programme participation increased resting leg blood flow and femoral artery ASR (P ≤ 0·05), and tended to decrease OSI (P = 0·09); RSR did not change (P>0·05). No changes in resting arm blood flow or ASR were observed (P>0·05), and both RSR and OSI increased after participation (P≤0·05). DEP participation reduced plasma vascular cell adhesion molecule(VCAM)-1 (P = 0·03), with a trend for reduced intercellular cell adhesion molecule(ICAM)-1 (P = 0·09) (i.e. atherogenic markers).


CONCLUSIONS
Modest changes in diet and physical activity result in limb-specific improvements in vascular shear profiles and reduced systemic markers of atherosclerotic risk in MetSyn patients. These data provide novel physiologic insight into adaptations that may limit the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with MetSyn.
Department of Kinesiology, School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Jacqueline K
JK
Limberg
Rebecca E
RE
Johansson
Patrick E
PE
McBride
William G
WG
Schrage
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003710:Demography; D004035:Diet Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
atherosclerosis; diabetes prevention; forearm; obesity; pre-diabetes