Exercise prescription program to reduce cardiovascular risk factor: comparison between cancer and hypertensive patients

Background: Despite the positive effects of the exercise as prescription therapy in patients with chronic disease has been well demonstrated , however the global response and any possible differences among different kinds of diseases after a short period of an unsupervised program it has not yet well investigated. The study aims to verify the effects of fast walking associated to a resistance exercise to improve the anthropometrics and water distribution parameters .Methods : Two groups of subjects (10 cancer survivorship aged 48.8 yrs and 19 hypertensive aged 54.3 yrs) were submitted to an evaluation of the anthropometrics parameters consisting of a BMI and waist circumference measurement. A complete evaluation of cardiovascular performance and of exercise tolerance , including 6-Minute walking test , with the evaluation of the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest and at the end of the exercise, was also performed. The bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure Total Body water (TBW), extracellular and intracellular water (ICW, ECW), and the flexibility (Sit & Reach Test) and strength test for the upper limbs (hand-grip) and lower ones , (30’’ Chair Test) were also performed. From the 6MWT data, the intensity and the duration of exercise was established per each patients . The exams were performed at the initial phase of the study and after 3 month of regular physical exercise .Results : From the data obtained a significant reduction of anthropometric parameters it has been observed (BMI T0 = 29,2±6.8 vs T3= 27,4±4.4 p<0.001) in the hypertensive population, in addition to a reduction of the waist circumference ( T0=92,5±14.1 cm vs T3=92, 1±12.8 cm, p<0.05). A significant improvement in tissue water distribution was also observed (ECW T0= 17,5±3.7 vs T3= 17,2±3.9 p<0.005). A predominant improvement of the cardiovascular parameters was on the contrary observed in cancer group (DBP T0=76,4±6.5 vs T3=72,2±7.1 p<0.05; 6MWT meters T0=487,8±116.0 vs T3= 525,6±117.3 p<0.05). In the same group the flexibility tests resulted to be also improved( sit and reach test : T0= 0,4±7.4 cm vs T3=4,1±6.1 cm p<0.05). Conclusions: A combined aerobic and resistance exercise program can induce a predominant modification of the cardiovascular risk factors ( waist circumference and BMI) in a hypertensive population. On the contrary it is more evident in a population affected of cancer , the improvement of the exercise tolerance and the flexibility parameters more frequently related to the muscles fatigue. .The same program seems to be therefore adequate for both , despite in presence of different kind of chronic disease and with apparent different risk factors. Further studies will be anyway necessary to investigate the main cause of this diverse sensibility.