This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dimmeler, S. Articles by Zeiher, A. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dimmeler, S. Articles by Zeiher, A. M. Related Collections Risk Factors Cell signalling/signal transduction Coronary circulation Related Article

(Circulation. 2003;107:3118.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Exercise and Cardiovascular Health

Get Active to "AKTivate" Your Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

Stefanie Dimmeler, PhD; Andreas M. Zeiher, MD

From the Division of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Frankfurt, Germany.

Correspondence to Stefanie Dimmeler, PhD, Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. E-mail dimmeler@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Key Words: Editorials • nitric oxide synthase • exercise • endothelium • signal transduction

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

Epidemiological studies have clearly documented that regular physical exercise promotes cardiovascular health and reduces the risk in patients with established coronary heart disease.^1,2 The mechanisms mediating the atheroprotective effects of exercise are not clearly defined. Multiple possible mediators have been suggested, including various physiological adaptations, altered autonomic function, and metabolic adjustments. Regular physical activity is associated with favorable modification of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia.³ However, the beneficial effects of regular physical activity cannot be accounted for solely by reduction of risk factors, because the association with reduced mortality is independent of other coronary risk factors.³ In recent years, it has become apparent that exercise directly affects the functional activity of the vascular endothelium.⁴ By increasing the mechanical shear forces on the luminal surface of the endothelial monolayer, exercise-induced increases in blood flow enhance the vasodilatory capacity of the arteries in animal models and in patients.^4,5 The endothelium not only plays a pivotal role in controlling vascular tone but exerts several important antiatherosclerotic functions, such as preventing platelets and inflammatory cells from adhering to the vascular surface. Indeed, the functional integrity of the endothelium to respond to increased blood flow is the major independent predictor of atherosclerotic disease progression and clinical outcome in patients at risk for coronary artery disease.⁶ Thus, the improvement of endothelial function by exercise is most likely to be of major importance for the atheroprotective effects of regular physical activity.

See p 3152

In the present issue of Circulation, Hambrecht . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

Regular Physical Activity Improves Endothelial Function in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease by Increasing Phosphorylation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

R. Hambrecht, V. Adams, S. Erbs, A. Linke, N. Kränkel, Y. Shu, Y. Baither, S. Gielen, H. Thiele, J.F. Gummert, F.W. Mohr, and G. Schuler
Circulation 2003 107: 3152-3158. [Abstract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Hamerman Osteoporosis and atherosclerosis: biological linkages and the emergence of dual-purpose therapies QJM, July 1, 2005; 98(7): 467 - 484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K Woolf-May, S Bird, and P D MacIntyre Physical activity levels during phase IV cardiac rehabilitation in a group of male myocardial infarction patients * Commentary Br. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2005; 39(3): e12 - e12. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Leon, B. A. Franklin, F. Costa, G. J. Balady, K. A. Berra, K. J. Stewart, P. D. Thompson, M. A. Williams, and M. S. Lauer Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: An American Heart Association Scientific Statement From the Council on Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee on Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Prevention) and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Subcommittee on Physical Activity), in Collaboration With the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Circulation, January 25, 2005; 111(3): 369 - 376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Green, W. Bilsborough, L. H. Naylor, C. Reed, J. Wright, G. O'Driscoll, and J. H. Walsh Comparison of forearm blood flow responses to incremental handgrip and cycle ergometer exercise: relative contribution of nitric oxide J. Physiol., January 15, 2005; 562(2): 617 - 628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J Green, A. Maiorana, G. O'Driscoll, and R. Taylor Effect of exercise training on endothelium-derived nitric oxide function in humans J. Physiol., November 15, 2004; 561(1): 1 - 25. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Conti, C. Carrozza, E. Capoluongo, M. Volpe, F. Crea, C. Zuppi, and F. Andreotti Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 as a Vascular Protective Factor Circulation, October 12, 2004; 110(15): 2260 - 2265. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Green, J. H. Walsh, A. Maiorana, M. J. Best, R. R. Taylor, and J. G. O'Driscoll Exercise-induced improvement in endothelial dysfunction is not mediated by changes in CV risk factors: pooled analysis of diverse patient populations Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2003; 285(6): H2679 - H2687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]