Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 2109 San Jacinto Blvd, D3700, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Brain Imaging Behav. 2018 Dec;12(6):1658-1668. doi: 10.1007/s11682-018-9830-3.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) adversely affects the vasculature and cerebral white matter (CWM) integrity. Arterial stiffening has been associated with diminished CWM integrity. Physical activity (PA) can ameliorate components of MetS and subsequently affect arterial stiffening and CWM integrity. Our aim was to determine the role of PA on mitigating the adverse influence of MetS on arterial stiffness and CWM integrity. In a cross-sectional study design, sixty-six middle-aged adults (40-62 years) composed of 18 sedentary MetS (Sed MetS), 21 physically active MetS (Active MetS), and 27 healthy individuals absent of MetS risk factors were studied. Carotid artery stiffness was assessed via simultaneous ultrasound and tonometry. CWM integrity was measured using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) through metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Carotid β-stiffness index in Active MetS was lower than Sed MetS but was not different from Healthy controls (6.6 ± 1.5, 7.7 ± 2.1, and 5.6 ± 1.6 au, p = 0.001). CWM integrity was significantly greater in Active MetS subjects compared to Sed MetS subjects but statistically equal to Healthy controls in the anterior limb of the internal capsule, and splenium of the corpus callosum, uncinate fasciculus, and superior corona radiata (all p < 0.05). Middle-aged individuals with MetS who habitually perform PA demonstrated lower arterial stiffness and more favorable CWM integrity than their sedentary peers, indicating that PA may be effective in mitigating the adverse effects of MetS on the vasculature and brain at midlife.
代谢综合征（MetS）会对血管和脑白质（CWM）的完整性产生不利影响。动脉僵硬度与 CWM 完整性降低有关。身体活动（PA）可以改善 MetS 的部分成分，从而影响动脉僵硬度和 CWM 完整性。我们的目的是确定 PA 在减轻 MetS 对动脉僵硬度和 CWM 完整性的不利影响方面的作用。在一项横断面研究设计中，我们研究了 66 名中年成年人（40-62 岁），其中包括 18 名久坐不动的 MetS（Sed MetS）、21 名积极运动的 MetS（Active MetS）和 27 名没有 MetS 危险因素的健康个体。通过同时进行超声和张力测量来评估颈动脉僵硬度。通过各向异性分数（FA）和平均弥散度（MD）的弥散张量成像（DTI）来测量 CWM 完整性。Active MetS 的颈动脉 β-僵硬度指数低于 Sed MetS，但与健康对照组无差异（6.6±1.5、7.7±2.1 和 5.6±1.6 au，p=0.001）。与 Sed MetS 相比，Active MetS 受试者的 CWM 完整性显著更高，但与健康对照组相比，在内囊前肢、胼胝体压部、钩束和上放射冠的统计学上是相等的（均 p<0.05）。习惯性进行 PA 的 MetS 中年个体表现出较低的动脉僵硬度和更有利的 CWM 完整性，这表明 PA 可能在中年时期有效减轻 MetS 对血管和大脑的不利影响。
