Acute effect characteristics of thigh squeeze hold using a pneumatic cuff on arterial stiffness in healthy adults

Systemic arterial stiffness improves with aerobic and stretching exercises. However, with the aging population, an increasing number of people find it difficult to perform these exercises; therefore, it is necessary to consider new means of intervention. The purpose of this study was to characterize the acute effects of squeeze hold (SH) with pneumatic cuffs as a passive intervention for arterial stiffness. This study was conducted as an open-label randomized crossover trial in which the order of 3 SH conditions with different cuff pressures and frequencies was randomized. Ten healthy adult males underwent 3 sets of SH at 200 mmHg (200 × 3SH), 3 sets at 100 mmHg (100 × 3SH), and 5 sets at 100 mmHg (100 × 5SH). Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and after the intervention, and there was a significant condition and time interaction (P < 0.01) and time effect (P < 0.05) for CAVI in the SH and non-SH legs. Results of multiple comparisons showed a significant CAVI reduction in 200 × 3SH (P < 0.0083). The rate of change in CAVI following the 200 × 3 SH intervention was -4.9 ± 3.3% in the SH leg and -3.3 ± 3.4% in the non-SH leg. This study suggests that 200 × 3SH acutely improves arterial stiffness and cannot be complemented by increased frequency of lower cuff pressures. The present data may provide valuable preliminary methodological evidence for the clinical application of SH.