The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on the Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Glucose in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Methods of lifestyle modification, including exercise can prevent cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients through augmentation of endothelial function. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 6 weeks of aerobic exercise on the plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and glucose in hypertensive postmenopausal women. In this clinical trial, 20 stage 1 hypertensive postmenopausal women (50-55 years old) were randomly divided into two groups of exercise training and control. Training program consisted of 6 weeks of 45-60min aerobic exercise at 50-65% of maximum heart rate, for 45-60min persession, and 3 sessions per week. The control group did not participate in any training program. Blood pressure (BP) and plasma levels of VEGF and glucose was measured before and 48h after the last training session. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, levene, and paired t-tests. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Systolic and diastolic BP was significantly reduced in the exercise training group after 6 weeks (p<0.001). In addition, 6 weeks of aerobic exercise significantly increased VEGF (p<0.002) and decreased glucose level (p<0.001). According to the results of this study, regular aerobic exercise training is associated with a decrease in blood glucose and also an increase in VEFG in hypertensive postmenopausal women.