Left ventricular structure and diastolic function with human ageing. Relation to habitual exercise and arterial...

We sought to determine if attenuation of the age-associated increase in arterial stiffness by habitual aerobic-endurance exercise would have corresponding effects on left ventricular (LV) structure and diastolic function.

We performed a cross-sectional study on 138 young, middle-aged, and older men who were either sedentary, recreationally active, or endurance exercise-trained. Ageing was associated with increased large artery stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity) and habitual aerobic-endurance exercise was associated with decreased large artery stiffness (lower aortic pulse wave velocity; all P<0.05). Ageing was associated with increased mean LV wall thickness, chamber diameter, mass, concentric remodelling, and a decline in LV diastolic function (all P<0.05). Habitual aerobic-endurance exercise was independently associated with increased LV wall thickness, chamber diameter, and mass (echocardiography; P=0.05 or better). The largest LV mass was seen in older endurance trained men, suggesting an additive effect of exercise training and ageing on the LV. Indices of LV diastolic function declined with age, irrespective of habitual physical activity status. Aortic pulse wave velocity was an independent predictor of concentric LV remodelling in the pooled sample, but did not predict other properties of LV structure and diastolic function. In general, habitual aerobic-endurance exercise status was not uniformly associated with favourable modulation of age-associated changes in LV structure and diastolic function.

We conclude that in contrast to its ability to favourably modulate the stiffness of large elastic arteries, regular aerobic-endurance exercise does not consistently modulate the changes in LV structure and diastolic function that occur with physiological ageing in men.