Vascular and Neuro-inflammatory Effects of Endurance Exercise Training in African Americans (VINE)

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of endurance exercise training on arterial structure and function, and to examine potential mechanisms producing changes in arterial structure and function in young (18-35 years of age) African Americans when compared to Caucasians.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Vascular Health; Autonomic Function
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Endurance Exercise

Detailed Description

African-Americans are at greater risk than Caucasians for developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal disease. This is likely related to arterial dysfunction including greater arterial stiffness, and reduced microvascular reactivity of resistance arteries in African-Americans. In addition, African-Americans have higher levels of inflammatory markers, and a greater sympathoexcitatory response to various stressors. This imbalance between sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic activation may directly affect vascular function and potentiate a greater inflammatory response, further altering key structural and functional properties of the vascular wall. The overall aim of this proposal is to test the effects of endurance exercise training on arterial structure and function, and to examine potential mechanisms producing changes in arterial structure and function in young (18-35 years of age) African Americans when compared to Caucasians. We will examine these effects at rest and following a high intensity (maximal cycle ergometry) sympathoexcitation at both pre- and post-intervention time points, since sympathoexcitation may elucidate changes not evident at rest. Because African-Americans have higher levels of arterial stiffness, lower microvascular reactivity, greater responses to sympathoexcitation, greater levels of inflammatory markers and greater vasoconstrictive tone, we hypothesize that African-Americans will show differential responses to exercise training and benefit more compared to a matched group of Caucasians.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 91
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • Kinesiology and Community Health Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects in good health with no cardiovascular, metabolic, or inflammatory disease, who do not use cardiovascular medications or antioxidant vitamin supplementation, including use of anti-inflammatory (including aspirin) or steroidal substances in the past 2 months will be inlcuded

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects who smoke, are severely obese (body mass index > 35 kg/m2), or who have hypertension (blood pressure >140/90mmHg), diabetes (fasting glucose >110mg/dl), hyperlipidemia, inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, etc) or diagnosed cardiovascular disease including, coronary heart disease, hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia or renal disease, will be excluded

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: African American Group; A group of young African American males and females	Behavioral: Endurance Exercise; 8 weeks of Endurance exercise training, 3-4 times per week, 45-60 minutes perr session
Other: Caucasian Group; a group of young Caucasian men and women	Behavioral: Endurance Exercise; 8 weeks of Endurance exercise training, 3-4 times per week, 45-60 minutes perr session

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Arterial function	Pre, following a 4 week control period and after 8 weeks of exercise intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Autonomic function	Pre, following a 4 week control period and following 8 weeeks of an exercise intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Collaborators: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Bo Fernhall, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 2, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 2, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): December 3, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 17, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2012
• Last Verified: December 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Inflammation; Endothelial function; Arterial stiffness; Autonomic function
• Other Study ID Numbers: UIUC 09599; 1R01HL093249-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)