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 Why
aerobic exercise is good for the heart
Newswise — Aerobic exercise is widely
recognized to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, but until
now, researchers have not fully understood the biological mechanisms
behind the effect of exercise on cardiovascular health. Findings of
a new study show how exercise decreases inflammation, which reduces
the risk of atherosclerosis – fatty build-ups in the arteries – that
cause most cases of heart disease.
In a study led by Richard P. Sloan, Ph.D.,
professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical
Center, whole blood samples were taken from 46 healthy young adults
(20-45 years old) both before and after participating in moderate or
high intensity aerobic exercise, over a 12-week period.
The blood samples were stimulated with the
infectious agent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – gram negative bacteria –
and then analyzed for levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) – an
initial step in the inflammatory cascade. Substantially lower levels
of TNF were found after aerobic training, in both the moderate and
high intensity groups.
“These findings suggest
strongly that exercise reduces the systemic
inflammation that can lead to heart disease,” said
Dr. Sloan. “This study is especially significant
because the value of exercise has never before been
shown in TNF, and never in healthy adults who were
not at high-risk for heart disease.”
Findings will be presented at the American
Psychosomatic Society’s Annual Meeting, March 7-10 in Budapest,
Hungary.
“With the learnings gained from these findings,
we plan to replicate this work with a larger group of volunteers,”
added Dr. Sloan.
In addition to Dr. Sloan, the Columbia
researchers involved in this study included Peter A. Shapiro, M.D.,
Ronald E. DeMeersman, Ph.D., Paula S. McKinley, Ph.D. and Pamela D.
Flood, M.D. Kevin Tracey, M.D. of North Shore University Hospital,
was also a member of the research team.
Columbia University Medical Center provides
international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical
research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient
care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the
dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and
public health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons,
the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Mailman
School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and
institutions.
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu
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