The Influence of Exercise on Cardiovascular Health in Sedentary Adults With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Allison R Webel, Joseph Perazzo, Christopher T Longenecker and 5 others
PMID 29189426WHAT IT FOUND
Sedentary adults with HIV had less moderate activity and less efficient breathing than matched controls.
Step counts were associated with lower inflammation, better fitness, and lower insulin resistance, but exercise was not proven to cause these changes.
Key findings
01PLWH had less moderate daily physical activity (33.3 vs 47.8 minutes), less ventilatory efficiency (33.1 vs 30.2), and lower systolic blood pressure (124 mmHg vs 132 mmHg) than controls.
02Among PLWH, step counts were associated with lower IL-6, higher peak oxygen uptake, and lower insulin resistance.
03After accounting for age, sex, BMI, and IL-6, physical activity was not significantly associated with peak oxygen uptake, peak VE/VCO2, or coronary calcium score.
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How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional baseline analysis, so it cannot show that physical activity caused better cardiovascular health. Only 20 HIV-uninfected controls were included. The study was single-site, and the authors say findings need multi-site confirmation before clinical changes. Many participants were older adults with high cardiovascular risk, so results may not apply to younger or lower-risk adults living with HIV. Several associations were adjusted or secondary findings, not tested intervention outcomes.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared for the remaining authors. The paper is listed as supported by NIH and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that exercise improved cardiovascular health in these adults with HIV. This analysis was cross-sectional and used baseline data, so it can show associations between step counts and fitness or inflammation but cannot show that exercise caused the differences.