Effect of Physical Activity on the Distensibility of the Aortic Wall in Healthy Males

To study the effect of physical activity level on the distensibility of the human aortic wall, aortic pulse wave velocity (APWV) was estimated in 139 healthy male subjects (19-67 years) and was related to the energy expenditure by habitual physical exercise (physical activity index: PAI), which was evaluated by a 7-day total activity recall. The subjects consisted of 56 fun runners (runner group) and 83 general subjects, who were divided into 25 active subjects (active group: PAI ≥ 1,500 kcal/week) and 58 sedentary subjects (sedentary group: PAI < 1,500 kcal/week). The APWV index (APWVI: standardized APWV by the diastolic blood pressure) was found to be positively correlated with age and was negatively correlated with PAI. The age-adjusted APWVI of the runner group was significantly lower than that of the active and sedentary groups. The age-adjusted APWVI was also significantly lower in the active group than in the sedentary group. These results suggest that increased physical activity may retard the age-dependent loss of arterial distensibility in humans, in proportion to the amount and/or intensity of exercise.