Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
Surgical Swine Model of Chronic Cardiac Ischemia Treated by Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Published on: March 27, 2018
Human coronary collateral recruitment is facilitated by isometric exercise during acute coronary occlusion
Song Lin1, Xiao Lu, Shaoliang Chen
1Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing, China.
Insights
Isometric exercise significantly increases coronary collateral flow in patients with coronary artery disease during acute vessel occlusion. This finding suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of isometric handgrip exercises for improving blood supply to the heart muscle.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Collateral circulation plays a crucial role in supplying blood to ischaemic myocardium.
- Limited non-invasive strategies exist to enhance collateral flow in acute coronary occlusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of isometric exercise on collateral flow in patients with CAD.
- To determine if isometric handgrip exercise can augment blood supply to the heart during acute coronary occlusion.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled study involving 65 patients with 1-vessel CAD.
- Patients were assigned to either an isometric exercise group or a non-exercise control group.
- The exercise group performed isometric handgrip exercises during 1-minute coronary balloon occlusion.
Main Results:
- The isometric exercise group demonstrated a significantly higher increase in collateral flow index compared to the non-exercise group (p < 0.01).
- Significant increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were observed in the exercise group.
- These physiological changes suggest an augmented cardiovascular response to isometric exercise during acute occlusion.
Conclusions:
- Isometric exercise effectively increases coronary collateral flow in patients with CAD during acute vessel occlusion.
- This suggests that isometric exercise may be a beneficial intervention for improving myocardial perfusion in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease.
Objective:
To determine whether isometric exercise increases collateral flow in remote ischaemic myocardium in acute coronary occlusion models of patients with coronary artery disease.
Design:
A randomized controlled study.
Subjects:
Sixty-five patients with 1-vessel coronary artery disease.
Methods:
Subjects were randomly assigned to either the isometric exercise group or non-exercise group. Patients in the exercise group performed isometric handgrip exercises (50% maximal voluntary contraction) during 1 min coronary balloon occlusion, while patients in the non-exercise group remained sedentary. The collateral flow index, heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were determined prior to and following 1 min of coronary occlusion.
Results:
In the exercise group, difference values for collateral flow index (after coronary occlusion before coronary occlusion) were significantly higher than those in the non-exercise group (0.04 standard deviation (SD) 0.05 vs 0.01 (SD 0.03), p < 0.01). Differences in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were also significantly higher than controls (heart rate 7.84 (SD 8.20) vs 0.88 (SD 3.96), p < 0.01; systolic blood pressure: 3.25 (SD 7.17) vs 1.88 (SD 6.21), p < 0.01; diastolic blood pressure 5.88 (SD 6.40) vs 1.5 (SD 6.22), p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Isometric exercise in patients with coronary artery disease induced an increase in coronary collateral flow during acute vessel occlusion, which was significantly different from control occlusion.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome I: Introduction
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:28Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care