About this Research Topic
Regular physical activity is widely accepted to be one of the most effective non-pharmacological means for reducing risk of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this knowledge, however, there is still much to learn about the different ways in which physical activity and/or exercise may impact vascular health across the human lifespan. While higher levels of physical activity in childhood are associated with numerous markers of improved vascular structure and function, the most effective way to optimize these adaptations, and their long-term implications for lifetime CVD risk, remains unclear. At the other end of the lifespan, identifying the most appropriate strategies to engage individuals with a lifetime of low physical activity levels, and the extent to which this can off-set long-term vascular damage, also remains unresolved. With the mechanisms underlying these vascular adaptations likely also differing with age, a better understanding of how these factors interact is essential in order to inform appropriate prevention strategies throughout the lifespan.
This Research Topic welcomes articles in all areas of study relating physical activity and/or exercise to vascular health, from applied physiology to large-scale population studies. Special interest will be given to work investigating how physical activity and exercise therapeutic strategies impact vascular structure and function at different stages of life. Longitudinal or family-based studies aiming to explore the complexity of vascular structure and function in different generations of physically active/inactive groups are welcome, as well as experiments that expand our mechanistic understanding of specific types of exercise on the vasculature from youth to old age. This may include experiments looking at endothelial cells, endothelial function and arterial stiffness, but also more classic cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure coupled with cardiometabolic factors. Work on female vascular health at different stages of life (including the interaction with menopause and fluctuation in sex hormones) is of particular interest.
We invite authors to submit contributions that will expand our knowledge about how physical activity and exercise impact upon molecular, cellular, structural and functional changes in the vascular system and cardiovascular events at different stages of life. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
Vascular Physiology
- Senescence of endothelial cells and clinical implications of vascular aging
- Mechanistic insights into the role of exercise on vascular aging
Physical Activity and Vascular Health
- Lifelong physical activity and its influence on vascular aging and/or CVD risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, cardiometabolic markers) from infancy to older age
- Strategies and policies to promote long-lasting changes in physical activity for cardiovascular health
Vascular Adaptation and Exercise Training
- Female vascular health: Influence of age, menopause, and exercise training
- Optimal exercise-based interventions to off-set vascular damage and for CVD prevention in older age
This Research Topic welcomes articles in all areas of study relating physical activity and/or exercise to vascular health, from applied physiology to large-scale population studies. Special interest will be given to work investigating how physical activity and exercise therapeutic strategies impact vascular structure and function at different stages of life. Longitudinal or family-based studies aiming to explore the complexity of vascular structure and function in different generations of physically active/inactive groups are welcome, as well as experiments that expand our mechanistic understanding of specific types of exercise on the vasculature from youth to old age. This may include experiments looking at endothelial cells, endothelial function and arterial stiffness, but also more classic cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure coupled with cardiometabolic factors. Work on female vascular health at different stages of life (including the interaction with menopause and fluctuation in sex hormones) is of particular interest.
We invite authors to submit contributions that will expand our knowledge about how physical activity and exercise impact upon molecular, cellular, structural and functional changes in the vascular system and cardiovascular events at different stages of life. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
Vascular Physiology
- Senescence of endothelial cells and clinical implications of vascular aging
- Mechanistic insights into the role of exercise on vascular aging
Physical Activity and Vascular Health
- Lifelong physical activity and its influence on vascular aging and/or CVD risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, cardiometabolic markers) from infancy to older age
- Strategies and policies to promote long-lasting changes in physical activity for cardiovascular health
Vascular Adaptation and Exercise Training
- Female vascular health: Influence of age, menopause, and exercise training
- Optimal exercise-based interventions to off-set vascular damage and for CVD prevention in older age
Keywords: Endothelial Function, Arterial Stiffness, Blood Pressure, Vascular Aging, Endurance Training, Resistance Training
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
