title: Aerobic Exercise Training and Arterial Changes in African Americans versus Caucasians.
abstract: African Americans (AA) have increased carotid artery intima-media thickness and decreased vascular function compared with their Caucasian (CA) peers. Aerobic exercise prevents and potentially reverses arterial dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 8 wk of moderate- to high-intensity aerobic training in young healthy sedentary AA and CA men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four healthy volunteers (men, 28; women, 36) with mean age 24 yr underwent measures of arterial structure, function, and blood pressure (BP) variables at baseline, after the 4-wk control period, and 8 wk after training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in VO2peak among both groups after exercise training. Brachial systolic BP decreased significantly after the control period in both groups but not after exercise training. Carotid pulse pressure decreased significantly in both groups after exercise training as compared with that in baseline. There was no change in any of the other BP variables. AA had higher intima-media thickness at baseline and after the control period but it significantly decreased after exercise training compared with that of CA. AA had significantly lower baseline forearm blood flow and reactive hyperemia compared with those of CA, but exercise training had no effect on these variables. There was no significant difference in arterial stiffness (central pulse wave velocity) and wave-reflection (augmentation index) between the two groups at any time point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to show that 8 wk of aerobic exercise training causes significant improvement in the arterial structure in young, healthy AA, making it comparable with the CA and with minimal effects on BP variables.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; 2Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, Urbana, IL; 3Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; 4Department of Health and Kinesiology Transdisciplinary Center on Health Equity Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX; and 5Division of Space Life Sciences, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Sushant M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ranadive
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Abbi D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kappus
authors.forename: Marc D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Idethia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ploutz-Synder
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Wilund
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Fernhall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult