Habitual aerobic exercise does not protect against micro- or macrovascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.
Aging causes micro- and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), which can be prevented and reversed by habitual aerobic exercise (AE) in men. However, in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, whole forearm microvascular EDD has not been studied, and a beneficial effect of AE on macrovascular EDD has not been consistently shown. We assessed forearm blood flow in response to brachial artery infusions of acetylcholine (FBFACh), a measure of whole forearm microvascular EDD, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of macrovascular EDD, in 12 premenopausal sedentary women (Pre-S; 24 ± 1 yr; V̇o2max= 37.5 ± 1.6 ml·kg-1·min-1), 25 estrogen-deficient postmenopausal sedentary women (Post-S; 62 ± 1 yr; V̇o2max= 24.7 ± 0.9 ml·kg-1·min-1), and 16 estrogen-deficient postmenopausal AE-trained women (Post-AE; 59 ± 1 yr; V̇o2max= 40.4 ± 1.4 ml·kg-1·min-1). FBFAChwas lower in Post-S and Post-AE compared with Pre-S women (135 ± 9 and 116 ± 17 vs. 193 ± 21 AUC, respectively, both P < 0.008), whereas Post-S and Post-AE women were not different (P = 0.3). Brachial artery FMD was 34% (5.73 ± 0.67%) and 45% (4.79 ± 0.57%) lower in Post-S and Post-AE, respectively, vs. Pre-S women (8.69 ± 0.95%, both P ≤ 0.01), but not different between Post-S and Post-AE women (P = 0.3). Post-AE women had lower circulating C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein compared with Post-S women (0.5 ± 0.1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 mg/l and 40 ± 4 vs. 55 ± 3 U/l, respectively, both P = 0.01), but these markers were not correlated to FBFACh(P = 0.3) or brachial artery FMD (P = 0.8). These findings are consistent with the idea that habitual AE does not protect against age/menopause-related whole forearm micro- and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy nonobese estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, despite being associated with lower systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.



This is the first study to demonstrate that habitual aerobic exercise may not protect against age/menopause-related whole forearm microvascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy nonobese estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, consistent with recent findings regarding macrovascular endothelial function. This is in contrast to what is observed in healthy middle-aged and older aerobic exercise-trained men.
Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; and jessica.santos@colorado.edu.
Jessica R
JR
Santos-Parker
Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; and.
Talia R
TR
Strahler
Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; and.
Victoria M
VM
Vorwald
Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Gary L
GL
Pierce
Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; and.
Douglas R
DR
Seals
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D004967:Estrogens; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
aerobic exercise; aging; endothelium-dependent dilation; women