Effect of Six Months of Aerobic Exercise on Lipid Profile, Inflammatory Markers and Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Obese Women

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of six months of aerobic exercise on lipid profile, inflammatory markers, and risk factors of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged obese women.

Fifteen obese woman (age range: 35 to 45 years) with BMI of ≥30 Kg/m2 were enrolled via purposeful and convenience sampling. The participants were randomly divided into training (n=10) and control (n=5) groups. Blood samples (7 ml) were taken from all participants before the first training session and after the last training session. The women performed 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at 55-65% of heart rate reserve, three sessions a week, for six months. Data was analyzed using independent and paired t-tests and Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests at significance of 0.05.

After the six-month aerobic exercise, C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein/total cholesterol decreased significantly. The exercise intervention also caused a significant increase in the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A.

Aerobic exercise can reduce the level of inflammatory markers associated with risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.