title: Effects of endurance, circuit, and relaxing training on cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive elderly patients.
abstract: Recommendations for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors among older adults highlighted the importance of exercise-based interventions, including endurance training (ET). However, the evidence of efficacy of other interventions based on short-bouts of exercise (circuit training, CT), and the practice of breath-control and meditation (relaxing training, RT) is growing. The aim of this study was to elucidate if CT or RT are equally effective in CVD risk factors reduction compared to ET. To this purpose, in 40 elderly participants, with clinically diagnosed grade 1 hypertension, resting blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels, peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]), mechanical efficiency and quality of life were evaluated before and after 12 weeks of ET, CT, and RT treatments. Resting blood pressure reduced significantly in all groups by ∼11 %. In ET, blood cholesterol levels (-18 %), [Formula: see text] (+8 %), mechanical efficiency (+9 %), and quality of life scores (+36 %) ameliorated. In CT blood glucose levels (-11 %), [Formula: see text] (+7 %) and quality of life scores (+35 %) were bettered. Conversely, in RT, the lower blood pressure went along only with an improvement in the mental component of quality of life (+42 %). ET and CT were both appropriate interventions to reduce CVDs risk factors, because blood pressure reduction was accompanied by decreases in blood glucose and cholesterol levels, increases in [Formula: see text], mechanical efficiency, and quality of life. Although RT influenced only blood pressure and quality of life, this approach would be an attractive alternative for old individuals unable or reluctant to carry out ET or CT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venturelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cè
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Limonta
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schena
authors.affiliation: ASP Pio Albergo Trivulzio, Division of Cardiology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caimi
authors.affiliation: ASP Pio Albergo Trivulzio, Division of Cardiology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.|Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carugo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.|Center of Sport Medicine, Don Gnocchi Foundation, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Arsenio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veicsteinas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy. fabio.esposito@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4420-2611
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Aging; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Circuit training; Endurance training; Relaxing training