Vascular Senescence and Resistance Exercise Training: Focus on Circulating Endothelial Cell-Derived MicroRNA-92a and Endothelin-1

Vascular senescence refers to specific aging-associated changes in the endothelial cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of 12 weeks of resistance training with elastic bands on circulating endothelial cell-derived microRNA-92a and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in elderly women with osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO).

In the present randomized clinical trial, 48 elderly women with OSO were randomly divided into a control group (n=22) and an experimental group (n=26). The subjects in the intervention group performed 12 weeks of resistance training with elastic bands three times a week. The participants became familiar with targeted number of repetitions and OMNI-resistance exercise scale to control exercise intensity.

The mean age, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), and bone mineral density T-score for the hip and L1-L4 lumbar spine of the subjects were 64.13±3.68 years, 45.4%±6.56, 33.1±3.71 kg/m2, and -1.86±1.42, respectively. After the 12-week resistance training, we observed a significant decrease in serum level of mir-92a in the experimental group compared to the control group (p=0.03). However, there was no significant difference between the study groups in terms of body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, total cholesterol, and ET-1 (p≥0.05).

The 12-week resistance training program seems to modulate and decrease serum mir-92a expression in elderly women with OSO. The lack of a significant change in BMI, body fat percentage, and ET-1 levels following the exercise training might be due to the type and intensity of the exercises.