Exercise Improves Myocardial Deformation But Not Cardiac Structure in Preterm-Born Adults: A Randomized Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Neonatology

Background:

• Individuals born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) may have an adverse cardiac phenotype that worsens with elevated blood pressure.
• Understanding the long-term cardiac effects of preterm birth and the impact of interventions is crucial for cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether preterm-born and term-born adults show similar cardiac structural and functional remodeling after a 16-week aerobic exercise intervention.
• To compare the effects of aerobic exercise on cardiac parameters in preterm-born versus term-born adults with elevated blood pressure.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 203 adults (aged 18-35 years) with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension.
• Participants were randomized to a 16-week aerobic exercise intervention or a control group.
• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) was used to assess left and right ventricular (LV and RV) structure and function before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• In term-born participants, aerobic exercise led to a decrease in LV mass to end-diastolic volume ratio and an increase in RV stroke volume index.
• Preterm-born participants in the exercise group showed improvements in LV circumferential strain and RV global longitudinal strain, but no significant changes in cardiac structure.
• No significant cardiac structural changes were observed in preterm-born participants, and no significant myocardial deformation effects were seen in term-born participants.

Conclusions:

• Aerobic exercise training improves myocardial function in preterm-born adults but does not significantly alter cardiac structure.
• These findings suggest that while exercise benefits cardiac function, structural adaptations may differ between preterm-born and term-born individuals.