ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND ABNORMAL SYSTEMIC VASCULAR RESPONSE TO SUBMAXIMAL EXERCISE IN UNIVERSITY WOMEN

ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND ABNORMAL SYSTEMIC VASCULAR RESPONSE TO SUBMAXIMAL EXERCISE IN UNIVERSITY WOMEN V.M.Martinez1, J. Montoya2, C.A. Vella1, D. Wittenburg2 1 University of Idaho, Moscow, ID & 2 University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, TX Arterial stiffening is one of the early risk factor landmarks for cardiovascular disease. Exercise is one of the best methods of maintaining health arterial elasticity. Early detection and knowledge of arterial elasticity has the potential to provide effective intervention especially in at-risk populations. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of arterial stiffness on cardiorespiratory fitness and the systemic vascular response to exercise. METHODS: 81 young, Hispanic women (23.59 ± 5.6 years) attending the university participated in the study. Anthropometric measures of height, weight, and body fat % were collected. Radial pulse wave contour tonometry was used to determine large (LAEI) and small (SAEI) arterial elasticity index. Systemic vascular resistance (SVR), cardiac ejection time, and cardiac output were measured through a submaximal test and within 5 minutes after completing the test. Predicted VO2 was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and calculated from a submaximal test. Factorial treatment design was used to examine effects LAE and SAEI on CRF. Participants were classified into healthy and high risk determined by LAEI and SAEI. Comparisons between groups were determined using ANOVA. RESULTS: LAEI and SAEI was not significantly associated with CRF. Post exercise ejection time was significantly blunted in the high risk arterial stiffness group compared to the healthy group (288.20 ± 21.77 ms vs 309 ± 27.2 ms; p=0.03). There were also significant differences (p\u3c0.05) in post exercise responses of SVR (1048.5 ± 31.2 vs 1241.4±43.8) and cardiac output (6.4 ± 0.17 vs 5.6 ± 0.18 l/min) in the healthy participants compared to high risk, respectively. Poor cardiorespiratory fitness due to inactivity decreases vasodilator function in the smooth muscles associated with the smaller arterioles at the tissue levels. The results of lack of vasodilation may be the cause for the reduced ejection time due to arterial stiffening in these young, minority women