title: Physical exercise and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in elderly: A systematic review.
abstract: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies that verified the effects of physical exercise on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  The bibliographic search was conducted in five database, from 1990 to 2013, with the following keywords and boolean operators: physical exercise OR physical exercise OR physical therapy OR exercise OR training AND VEGF OR vascular endothelial growth factor AND aged OR older OR elderly. The inclusion criteria were: (1) sample including elderly with average age of 60; (2) studies that verified the effects of acute exercise; (3) studies that verified the effects of chronic physical exercise; (4) studies with humans; (5) randomized controlled trials, randomized non-controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, non-randomized and non-controlled trials; (6) assessment of VEGF peripheral concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten studies were selected, and that four of them verified an increase of VEGF concentrations after practicing physical exercise and six studies did not verify any change on VEGF concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different populations found in this study and the different exercise protocols applied in the studies of this review make it difficult to establish parameters of what would be the best type of exercise to promote an increase on the concentrations of VEGF in the elderly. Therefore, we suggest that further studies can be performed, so that we can establish some recommendations for this population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Physical Activity and Aging Lab (LAFE), Avenida 24 A, 1515 - Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil. Electronic address: thaysmv@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Thays Martins
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Vital
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Physical Activity and Aging Lab (LAFE), Avenida 24 A, 1515 - Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelica Miki
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Physical Activity and Aging Lab (LAFE), Avenida 24 A, 1515 - Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Gomes
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: de Melo Coelho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Physical Activity and Aging Lab (LAFE), Avenida 24 A, 1515 - Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Franciel José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Arantes
authors.affiliation: Center of Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, UFABC, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teodorov
authors.affiliation: Center of Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, UFABC, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil; Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Physical Activity and Aging Lab (LAFE), Avenida 24 A, 1515 - Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ruth Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Santos-Galduróz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Biomarkers; Exercise; Older people; Review; VEGF