Arterial Stiffness, Central Blood Pressure, and Cardiac Biomarkers in Long-Distance Walkers

Abstract

The cardiovascular effects of long-distance and -duration activities and their relationship with arterial stiffness and cardiac biomarkers are still unclear. This study aimed to assess arterial stiffness and Central Blood Pressure (cBP) and correlate them with cardiac biomarkers in long-distance walkers (271 km in 4 days). This longitudinal study assessed Peripheral Systolic Blood Pressure (pSBP), Peripheral Diastolic Blood Pressure (pDBP), Central Systolic Blood Pressure (cSBP), Central Diastolic Blood Pressure (cDBP), Pulse-Wave Velocity (PWV), Central Pulse Pressure (cPP), Augmentation Index (AIx), and total vascular resistance, using the Mobil-O-Graph® device and biomarkers creatine kinase-MB, troponin T, and brain natriuretic peptide. All items were assessed 30 days before the event (A0) and at the end of the 1st (A1), 2nd (A2), 3rd (A3), and 4th (A4) days of walk. Data were analyzed using Stata Software and p-values < 0.05 were considered significant. This study included 25 men, with mean age of 46 ± 10.5 years and body mass index of 20.2 ± 2.3 kg/m2. pSBP level reduced from A0 (122.8 ± 2.2) to A1 (111.6 ± 2.1) (p = 0.004) and cSBP level reduced from A0 (110.2 ± 2.2) to A1 (101 ± 1.8) (p = 0.035). CK-MB enzyme correlated with PVR in both A1 (r = 0.445, p < 0.033) and A4 (r = 0.554, p < 0.006). Troponin T showed correlation at A4 with cSBP (r = 0.468, p < 0.024) and pSBP (r = 0.470, p < 0.023). There was no change in PWV. This study showed that this exercise modality did not cause harmful alterations related to arterial stiffness behavior.

Keywords

• Walking
• vascular stiffness
• cardiovascular physiological phenomena
• arterial pressure