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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to evaluate metabolic risk factors, exercise capacity and serum IL-6 levels in postmenopausal women.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to understand regular exercise may help to improve metabolic risk factors, exercise capacity and inflammation in women after the menopause.
The purposes of this study were to investigate metabolic risks factors, exercise capacity, and inflammation state in postmenopausal women; and to evaluate the effect of a supervised aerobic exercise training program on these characteristics.
Methods:
This study was a prospective, randomized control trail. Forty-six postmenopausal women completed the study: 23 in the exercise, 23 in the control groups. Subjects in the exercise group participated in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise (60% to 70% of their maximal heart rate performed from exercise testing), three times each week for 12 weeks. Data on metabolic components (blood pressure, blood lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, and waist circumference), serum IL-6 levels, and exercise capacity were analyzed at baseline and the 12th weeks. The metabolic syndrome (MS) score was calculated as the sum of the metabolic components present in each subject. The Generalized Estimating Equation was used to analyze the change in study variables between the two groups.
Results:
After controlling for age and body mass index, the intervention effect on MS score and exercise capacity in the exercise group were significantly more than the control group at the end of the 12th weeks (Z= 2.72, p < 0.05 and Z = 3.93, p < 0.001 respectively). Significant declines in the level of serum IL-6 was also observed in the exercise group compared with their counterparts on completion of the study (p <0.05).
Conclusion:
Regular exercise can play a role of improving exercise capacity and metabolic risk factors in postmenopausal women. The result would help to facilitate the application of physical exercise in women health.