The Effects of High- and Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Cerebrovascular and Cardiometabolic Health of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Sponsor
- Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Enrollment
- 34
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Cerebrovascular Reactivity to Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
This study will investigate the impact of high- and moderate-intensity exercise on the cardiometabolic and brain health of women with Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim is to measure and compare normal, healthy women without PCOS, to those with the condition.
All participants will undergo a blood test. The investigators will then assess the participants cardiovascular fitness by means of a maximal exercise test and measure body composition through height, weight, and hip-to-waist ratio.
Participants will undergo an MRI, where the investigators will assess the participants brain structure and how the brain responds to a number of tests. The investigators will also conduct some tests that will assess the participants cognition, such as IQ, memory etc.
The investigators will measure the blood vessels leading to the brain and the blood flow through them to measure how much blood the brain receives when rested, using ultrasound.
The investigators will use a number of tests to look at brain function, measure the responses to these tests, and compare them between the normal, healthy women and those with PCOS. This will show if women with PCOS have a similar brain function when rested and when their brains are tested to those without the condition.
The investigators will use exercise as an intervention, where the aim will be to investigate whether women with PCOS respond similarly to those without the condition to both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise. The tests of brain function will be repeated following the exercise, and see if both normal, healthy women and those with PCOS have a similar response to the brain function tests.
All tests and measures will be compared between the PCOS group, and the healthy control group to establish any potential differences or similarities as a result of the condition.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Polycystic Ovary Syndrome as diagnosed by any recognised criteria.
- •Inactive (less than 40 mins of structured exercise per week).
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pregnant or breastfeeding.
- •Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing's syndrome, thyroid disease, hyperprolactinaemia and androgen secreting tumours.
- •Known history of cardiovascular disease.
- •Contraindications to MRI (fitted with ferromagnetic devices).
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Cerebrovascular Reactivity to Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Time Frame: Less than 1 hour post-exercise
6% CO2 administered to measure reactivity of the cerebrovasculature as measured by extra-cranial ultrasonography.
Cerebral blood velocity in the middle (MCAv) and posterior cerebral arteries (PCAv) during exercise
Time Frame: During moderate-intensity exercise (50 minutes)
MCAv and PCAv will be assessed using transcranial Doppler and employed throughout both bouts of acute exercise.
Neurovascular coupling (NVC)
Time Frame: Less than 1 hour post-exercise
NVC will be assessed using a visual task (flashing checkerboard) measured via transcranial Doppler.
Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA)
Time Frame: Less than 1 hour post-exercise
dCA will be assessed using a squat-stand method to induce forced oscillations in blood pressure and measured using finger plethysmography and transcranial Doppler.
Secondary Outcomes
- Cerebral structure(Baseline)
- Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)(Baseline)
- Hormone profile(Baseline)
- Cerebrovascular reactivity(Baseline)
- Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption(Baseline)
- Cognitive testing(Baseline)
- Cerebral blood flow(Baseline)
- Blood pressure during exercise(During High-intensity interval exercise (HIIT) (24 minutes) and Moderate-intensity steady state (MISS) (50 minutes) exercise)
- Metabolic profile(Baseline)
- Lipid profile(Baseline)