Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 17, Issue 2 133-136, Copyright © 1998 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Effect of regular aerobic exercise on cerebrovascular tone in young women
K. Hata, T. Hata, K. Miyazaki, H. Kunishi and J. Masuda
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
Our objective was to evaluate the effect of regular aerobic exercise on
cerebrovascular tone in young women. Color and pulsed Doppler
ultrasonography were used to determine the pulsatility index in the
ophthalmic artery in 20 normotensive, nonpregnant young women (aged 19 to
26 years) with a regular menstrual cycle on cycle day 5. Blood pressure and
heart rate were recorded at each examination. Blood samples were collected
from all the subjects to measure serum estradiol levels and serum lipid
profiles. Ten of the 20 women (exercise group) have maintained aerobic
exercise for 50 min, 3 to 5 days a week, for at least a year. The other 10
women (nonexercise group) never did regular exercise. There were no
significant differences between the two groups regarding age, body mass
index, mean blood pressure, and heart rate and serum estradiol, total
cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. The pulsatility index value (mean,
1.89; standard deviation, 0.33) of the ophthalmic artery in the exercise
group was significantly lower than that (mean, 2.53; standard deviation,
0.26) in the nonexercise group. Regular aerobic exercise in young women
significantly decreases the peripheral cerebrovascular tone, and this might
be a favorable adaptation for early prevention of cerebrovascular disease,
which is common in older women.
