title: Evaluation of a static stretching intervention on vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maintenance and enhancement of vascular endothelial function contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and prolong a healthy life expectancy. Given the reversible nature of vascular endothelial function, interventions to improve this function might prevent arteriosclerosis. Accordingly, we studied the effects of a 6-month static stretching intervention on vascular endothelial function (reactive hyperaemia peripheral arterial tonometry index: RH-PAT index) and arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity: baPWV) and investigated the reversibility of these effects after a 6-month detraining period following intervention completion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study evaluated 22 healthy, non-smoking, premenopausal women aged ≥40 years. Subjects were randomly assigned to the full-intervention (n = 11; mean age: 48.6 ± 2.8 years) or a half-intervention that included a control period (n = 11; mean age: 46.9 ± 3.6 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body flexibility and vascular endothelial function improved significantly after 3 months of static stretching. In addition to these improvements, arterial stiffness improved significantly after a 6-month intervention. However, after a 6-month detraining period, vascular endothelial function, flexibility, and arterial stiffness all returned to preintervention conditions, demonstrating the reversibility of the obtained effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 3-month static stretching intervention was found to improve vascular endothelial function, and an additional 3-month intervention also improved arterial stiffness. However, these effects were reversed by detraining.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science , Graduate School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shinno
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science , Graduate School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurose
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science , Graduate School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science , Graduate School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higurashi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science , Graduate School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Yaeko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Science , Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Science , Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.|c Health Science Center , Kansai Medical University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
keywords: Endothelial function; arterial stiffness; flexibility; static stretching