Exploring the Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Cardiovascular Function in Older Adults
- Conditions
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Interventions
- Procedure: Aquatic exercise
- Registration Number
- NCT04308057
- Lead Sponsor
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Brief Summary
Cardiovascular ageing is implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aquatic exercise is being considered as a co-adjuvant form of rehabilitation, but there is limited evidence for its cardiovascular risk-reduction properties for older people. Our study aims to address this by exploring the cardiovascular effects of long-term aquatic exercise in older adults in comparison to those who are either inactive or engaged in land-based/mixed training by measurement of micro- and macro-circulation.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 100
- being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., <140/90 mm Hg).
- any overt chronic disease which would affect microvascular functioning,
- anaemia (irrespective of whether an iron supplementation course is followed or not)
- a recent (3 months' ago) major surgery
- None of the participants were undertaking high intensity interval training of any form.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Sedentary. Aquatic exercise General inclusion criteria included being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., \<140/90 mm Hg). Specifically for this group, we include participants who are sedentary (e.g., defined as undertaking less than 60 min of structured/planned physical activity per week), for a period longer than 6 months.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Nitric oxide-mediated, macro (arterial)- circulatory function. 8 weeks. We will use FMD as a measure of endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated, macro (arterial)- circulatory function. Baseline scanning to assess resting vessel diameter will be recorded over 3 minutes, following a 10-minute resting period. A rapid inflation-deflation pneumatic cuff placed immediately distal to the elbow joint will be used to as an FMD stimulus.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Feasibility outcome - 1 Baseline Recruitment rate (% of those expressing an interest, being actually recruited).
Feasibility outcome - 2 8 weeks Adherence rate (% of those recruited completing at least 75% of the prescribed number of exercise sessions).
Anthropometry - 1 8 weeks. Stature, waist and hip circumferences will be measured (all in cms).
Anthropometry - 2 8 weeks. Body mass will be measured.
EQ-5D-5L 8 weeks. The EQ5D-5L questionnaire will be completed, to support assessment of quality of life.
Microcirculatory function 8 weeks. Skin blood flow will be measured as cutaneous red blood cell flux using a Laser Doppler Flowmeter (LDF). Local thermal hyperaemia will be induced using a heating disc surrounding the probe. The probe will be attached to the skin using a double-sided adhesion sticker. Participants will be rested in a supine position in a temperature-controlled room with a constant ambient temperature of 24° C for 35 minutes. Heart rate and diastolic and systolic blood pressure was recorded from the left arm at 5-minute intervals throughout the protocol (Dinamap Dash 2500, GE Healthcare, USA). Baseline skin blood flow data will be recorded for 5 minutes with the local heating disc temperature set at 30° C. Following this, rapid local heating will be initiated to obtain maximal vasodilation and the temperature will be increased by 1° C every 10 seconds until 42° C was reached. This will then be maintained for 30 minutes following, which the test will be completed.
SF-IPAQ 8 weeks. The SF-IPAQ questionnaire will be completed, to assess physical activity levels.
Q-Risk 8 weeks. The online Q-Risk questionnaire will be competed, which assesses the risk of cardiovascular disease risk
Feasibility outcome - 3 8 weeks Retention rate (% of those recruited completing the post-intervention assessments).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Sheffield Hallam University
🇬🇧Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom