Effects Of Resistance And Aerobic Exercise On Cardiovascular Outcomes In Individuals Treated For Cancer

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the greatest long-term health concerns for individuals treated for cancer. Research highlights exercise as a potential means to mitigate CVD risk. The measurement of augmentation index (Alx) and pulse wave velocity (PWV), key CVD risk factors, have gained prominence due to their non-invasive nature and time-efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an exercise program on cardiovascular outcomes in survivors of cancer. METHODS: Participants completed supervised exercise sessions 2 days/week for 8 weeks. Sessions consisted of 6-8 resistance exercises targeting each of the major muscle groups followed by 15-20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic activity. One week prior to and following the intervention, brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP), brachial diastolic blood pressure (DBP), resting heart rate (RHR), Alx standardized to a heart rate of 75 BPM (Alx@75), and PWV were measured after 5-10 minutes of rest in the supine position using an oscillometric cuff and applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor Xcel, AtCor Medical). Paired sample t-tests and Cohen’s d effect sizes (ES) were used to analyze results with significance defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Ten females previously treated for cancer (age: 65 ± 9 yrs, BMI: 29 ± 5.3, time since diagnosis (mths): 47 ± 51.9, cancer type: breast n = 7, ovarian n = 1, kidney n = 1, multiple myeloma n = 1, history of CVD n = 2) completed assessments prior to and following the intervention. No significant differences were detected for changes in SBP (mmHg) (Pre: 139 ± 8.7, Post: 137 ± 9.5, p = 0.33, ES = .14), DBP (mmHg) (Pre: 79 ± 5.1, Post: 79 ± 8.3, p = 0.50, ES = .00), RHR (bpm) (Pre: 73 ± 8.1, Post: 71 ± 12.6, p = 0.21, ES = .26), Alx@75 (%) (Pre: 29.2 ± 9.2, Post: 31.0 ± 8.0, p = 0.3, ES = .16) or PWV (m/s) (Pre: 6.1 ± .72, Post: 6.0 ± 1.17, P = 0.36, ES = .12). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the exercise program used in this study did not result in changes to several cardiovascular outcomes. A limitation of this study is the inclusion of individuals without the presence of CVD at baseline. Future studies should aim to investigate the impacts of longer and/or more comprehensive interventions in addition to controlling for factors such as pre-existing CVD, disease type, and previous treatment regimen.