Impacts of Aqua Aerobic Exercise on Vascular Health and Exercise Tolerance in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease that is associated with attenuated vascular function, cardiorespiratory capacity, physical function, and muscular strength. It is essential to combat these negative effects on health by incorporating lifestyle interventions to slow disease progression, such as exercise. We sought to examine the effects of aquatic walking exercise on cardiovascular function, cardiorespiratory capacity [maximal volume of oxygen consumption (V̇o2max)], exercise tolerance [6-min walking distance (6MWD)], physical function, muscular strength, and body composition in patients with PAD. Patients with PAD ( n = 72) were recruited and randomly assigned to a 12-wk aquatic walking training group (AQ, n = 35) or a control group (CON, n = 37). The AQ group performed walking and leg exercises in waist-to-chest-deep water. Leg arterial stiffness [femoral-to-ankle pulse wave velocity (legPWV)], heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), ankle-to-brachial index (ABI), V̇o2max, 6MWD, physical function, muscular strength, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and flexibility were measured before and after 12 wk. There were significant group × time interactions ( P < 0.05) after 12 wk for legPWV and HR, which significantly decreased ( P < 0.05) in AQ, and V̇o2max, 6MWD, physical function, and muscular strength, which significantly increased ( P < 0.05) in AQ, compared with no changes in CON. There were no significant differences ( P > 0.05) for BP, ABI, RMR, or flexibility after 12 wk. Interestingly, there was relatively high adherence (84%) to the aquatic walking exercise program in this population. These results suggest that aquatic walking exercise is an effective therapy to reduce arterial stiffness and resting HR and improve cardiorespiratory capacity, exercise tolerance, physical function, and muscular strength in patients with PAD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results of this study reveal for the first time that aquatic walking exercise can decrease arterial stiffness and improve exercise tolerance, cardiorespiratory capacity, and muscular strength in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Aquatic walking exercise training demonstrates relatively high exercise adherence in this population. Aquatic walking exercise training may be a useful therapeutic intervention for improving physical function in patients with PAD.

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Effects of heated water-based versus land-based exercise training on vascular function in individuals with peripheral artery disease

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00744.2019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 128 (3) ◽

pp. 565-575 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Song-Young Park ◽

Alexei Wong ◽

Won-Mok Son ◽

Elizabeth J. Pekas

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Peripheral Artery Disease ◽

Exercise Therapy ◽

Vascular Function ◽

Exercise Tolerance ◽

Peripheral Artery ◽

Heated Water ◽

Water Exercise ◽

Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease that is associated with poor vascular function, walking impairment, and reduced quality of life. Land-based exercise therapy (LBET) is frequently recommended to improve walking and reduce symptoms. Recently, evidence has suggested that heated-water exercise therapy (HWET) is an effective intervention for PAD. However, the efficacy of LBET versus HWET in PAD patients had not been elucidated. Therefore, we sought to compare effects of LBET with HWET on cardiovascular function, exercise tolerance, physical function, and body composition in PAD patients. PAD patients ( n = 53) were recruited and randomly assigned to a LBET group ( n = 25) or HWET group ( n = 28). The LBET group performed treadmill walking, whereas the HWET group performed walking in heated water for 12 wk. Leg (legPWV) and brachial-to-ankle arterial stiffness (baPWV), blood pressure (BP), ankle-brachial index (ABI), 6-min walking distance (6MWD), claudication onset time (COT), physical function, and body composition were assessed before and after 12 wk. There were significant group-by-time interactions ( P < 0.05) for legPWV, BP, 6MWD, COT, body composition, and resting metabolic rate (RMR). Both groups significantly reduced ( P < 0.05) legPWV, BP, and body fat percentage, and HWET measures were significantly lower than LBET measures. Both groups significantly increased 6MWD, COT, and RMR, and HWET group measures were significantly greater than LBET measures. A time effect was noted for baPWV reduction in both groups ( P < 0.05). These results suggest that both LBET and HWET improve cardiovascular function, exercise tolerance, and body composition, and HWET showed considerably greater improvements compared with LBET in patients with PAD. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results of this study reveal for the first time that although land-based exercise therapy is effective for reducing arterial stiffness and blood pressure in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), heated-water exercise therapy demonstrates greater benefits on vascular function. The greater improvements in muscular strength, time to onset of claudication, and exercise tolerance after heated-water exercise therapy may have clinical implications for improving quality of life in patients with PAD. The heated-water exercise therapy intervention demonstrated relatively higher exercise training adherence (∼88%) compared with the land-based exercise intervention (∼81%).

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Inorganic nitrate supplementation improves exercise tolerance and calf vascular function in patients with peripheral artery disease

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.853.2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Joshua Bock ◽

David Treichler ◽

Kenichi Ueda ◽

William Hughes ◽

Darren Casey

Keyword(s):

Peripheral Artery Disease ◽

Vascular Function ◽

Exercise Tolerance ◽

Peripheral Artery ◽

Inorganic Nitrate ◽

Nitrate Supplementation ◽

Artery Disease

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Associations of coronary and peripheral artery disease with presence, expansion, and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm – a grin without a cat!

VASA ◽

10.1024/0301-1526/a000606 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 151-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hisato Takagi ◽

Takuya Umemoto

Keyword(s):

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ◽

Aortic Aneurysm ◽

Peripheral Artery Disease ◽

Literature Search ◽

Systematic Literature Search ◽

Peripheral Artery ◽

Epidemiological Evidence ◽

Abdominal Aortic ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract. Both coronary and peripheral artery disease are representative atherosclerotic diseases, which are also known to be positively associated with presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm. It is still controversial, however, whether coronary and peripheral artery disease are positively associated with expansion and rupture as well as presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In the present article, we overviewed epidemiological evidence, i. e. meta-analyses, regarding the associations of coronary and peripheral artery disease with presence, expansion, and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm through a systematic literature search. Our exhaustive search identified seven meta-analyses, which suggest that both coronary and peripheral artery disease are positively associated with presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm, may be negatively associated with expansion of abdominal aortic aneurysm, and might be unassociated with rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

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