Exercise training for the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease

The aim of this study is to provide an updated overview on exercise training as an optimal strategy for preventing and treating cardiometabolic complications.

Physical inactivity is recognized as one of the most significant, modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Despite well established guidelines, nearly one-third of adults fail to meet recommended activity levels. Physical inactivity is associated with increased risk of CVD and cardiometabolic complications including coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Home exercise prescriptions and supervised exercise training programs including aerobic ± resistance training have been shown to modify risk and treat cardiometabolic disease. This includes positive effects on glycemic control, obesity, stroke, hypertension, heart failure, and primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic CVD. The cardioprotective effects of exercise training programs appear to be multifactorial, mediated through specific structural and functional cardiovascular adaptations, and systemic effects including improved lipid metabolism, enhanced mitochondrial efficiency, and attenuation of systemic inflammation.

In this review, we summarize recent evidence for various exercise training programs in preventing and managing cardiometabolic disease and explore the physiologic mechanisms underlying their cardiovascular benefits.