The effects of an eight week cardiac rehabilitation exercise program on Lp(a) concentration in patients with coronary artery disease

Elevated lipoprotein (a) concentration (Lp(a)) ($>$30 mg/dl particle mass) is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). It has been suggested that intense exercise lowers plasma (Lp(a)) in healthy individuals. To study the efficacy of moderate intensity exercise in lowering (Lp(a)), 11 men (M age = 60) and 5 women (M age = 70) with angiographically documented CAD participated in an 8-week Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program (30 minutes of treadmill, bicycle, wall-pulley, rowing machine or arm ergometer) three times a week. Subjects began at an intensity of 2.5 $\pm$ 0.5 METS and attended a minimum of 75% of all exercise sessions (M = 88%). A subgroup of 4 men and 1 woman with angiographically documented CAD who refused the exercise program but underwent identical testing was compared. Plasma (Lp(a)) was determined by immunoprecipitation analysis at the beginning and end of the 8-week exercise period. Subjects kept 3-day diet and physical activity diaries and had body composition measurements (weight, percent body fat and waist to hip ratio (WHR)) taken at the beginning and end of the 8-week testing period. Although subjects with higher initial plasma (Lp(a)) showed greater decreases in (Lp(a)), a t-test revealed no change (p = 0.26) in plasma (Lp(a)) in the exercising subjects over the 8-week period. Absolute changes in plasma (Lp(a)) did not correlate with absolute changes in weight or percent body fat. Women had significantly higher (p $\le$ 0.05) pretest plasma (Lp(a)) than men although changes in plasma (Lp(a)) were not different between sexes. The results suggest that an 8-week exercise program of moderate intensity does not assure favorable changes in plasma (Lp(a)).

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Kinesiology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Forsyth-Whalen, Elizabeth

• Biology, General
• Health Sciences, General
• Health Sciences, Recreation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1993 Forsyth-Whalen, Elizabeth

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9411624
(UMI)AAI9411624

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/19765