Prevention of Cardiovascular Stiffening With Aging and Hypertensive Heart Disease

The global objective of this project is to test novel strategies to prevent diastolic dysfunction associated with HFpEF; these include: a) identifying high risk individuals by using population derived imaging and blood biomarkers; and b) implementing novel exercise training strategies in these middle age individuals, when cardiac plasticity still exists, to forestall the development of diastolic abnormalities that progress to HFpEF.

Prior research has demonstrated that: a) healthy but sedentary aging leads to atrophy and stiffening of the heart with reduced myocardial and chamber compliance; b) in contrast, highly competitive senior athletes had cardiac compliance that was indistinguishable from healthy young individuals suggesting that lifelong exercise training prevented this stiffening; c) even prolonged and intense exercise training started after age 65 failed to reverse age-related cardiac and vascular stiffening; d) cardiac stiffening begins in middle age (40-64) and can be substantially prevented by training 4-5 days/wk. The primary objective of this project is therefore to identify high risk sedentary individuals age 40-64, and initiate an exercise program carefully designed to maximize effects on cardiovascular compliance and function. Findings from this aim would have enormous public health significance and establish a novel, practical exercise training strategy designed to reverse cardiovascular stiffening.

Hypothesis:

Exercise training, when implemented 4-5 times/week over a prolonged period of time in sedentary high risk middle aged men and women, age 40-64 will improve cardiac and vascular compliance to a degree equivalent to life-long exercisers (and sedentary young);

Specific Aim: