Inflammation has a significant role in the development and progression of coronary artery disease (the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis). Arterial inflammation . . . can be described as a cellular nest within blood vessels, causing growth (blockage), aggregation and adhesion of cellular components, that brew. Quenching the cellular messengers/mediators of vascular inflammation helps prevent arterial buildup. Aerobic activity lowers the risk of coronary artery disease by simmering cellular inflammatory mediators.
In a cardiac rehabilitation study*, twenty eight patients, average age 64, participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise training program at 70-80% of individual maximal heart rate. Such training resulted in a significant reduction of all pro-inflammatory cytokines tested as well as a significant increase in the anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory cytokine IL-10.
Aerobic activity includes brisk walking, swimming, treadmill & stairmaster. During aerobic exercise or cardiovascular exercise the body uses oxygen from blood as the primary fuel for working muscles. During resistance/weight training the body works anaerobically using sources other than oxygen for fuel. Both aerobic and resistance exercise reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease development and progression.
Aerobic exercise training in individuals with coronary artery disease is a non-pharmaceutical effective means to reduce **C-reactive protein, IL-1, IL-6, INF-gamma levels, and increase in IL-10, thus, improving coronary risk profile and lessening the risk of heart attack.
**High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a plasma marker of inflammation. It identifies an increased risk of an acute coronary event independent of LDL cholesterol.
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*Exercise training modulates cytokines activity in coronary heart disease patients.
Goldhammer E, Tanchilevitch A, Maor I, Beniamini Y, Rosenschein U, Sagiv M. Dept of Cardiology, Bnai Zion Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31048, Israel.
Int J Cardiol. 2005 Apr 8;100(1):93-9.
Aerobic exercise, but not flexibility/resistance exercise, reduces serum IL-18, CRP, and IL-6 independent of beta-blockers, BMI, and psychosocial factors in older adults.
Kohut ML, McCann DA, Russell DW, Konopka DN. Department of Health & Human Performance, Immunobiology, Gerontology, Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
Brain Behav Immun. 2006 May;20(3):201-9.
The influence of exercise training on inflammatory cytokines and C-reactive protein.
Stewart LK, Flynn MG, Department of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Oct;39(10):1714-9.
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