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Clinical Research

Endothelial and exercise vasodilation are reduced in postmenopausal females with obesity versus lean and overweight

International Journal of Obesity (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

Obesity (OB) is highly prevalent in females after menopause, especially visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation which contributes to endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium assists in regulating blood flow (BF) during exercise and is attenuated in females with OB. The purpose of this study was to examine upper and lower limb flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and BF regulation during graded low-intensity submaximal exercises in postmenopausal females with BMI in the lean (LN), overweight (OW) and OB categories.

Methods

Participants were grouped by body mass index (BMI) into LN (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2; n = 11), OW (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2; n = 15), and OB (BMI 30.0–39.9 kg/m2; n = 13). FMD of the brachial (BA-FMD) and superficial femoral arteries (FA-FMD) were assessed. Subsequently, BF and vascular conductance (VC) in the upper (BA-BF and BA-VC) and lower limbs (FA-BF and FA-VC) were measured during separate 3-stage incremental rhythmic handgrip and plantarflexion exercises.

Results

Significantly lower FA-FMD (P < 0.05) were seen in OB than LN and OW groups with no differences in BA-FMD. Increases in FA-BF and FA-VC were attenuated during the last stage of plantarflexion exercise at 30% of 1RM in OB (both P < 0.001) compared to LN and OW, while upper-body exercise vasodilation was unchanged. FA-BF and FA-VC during plantarflexion exercise were correlated to FA-FMD (FA-BF: r = 0.423, P = 0.007, FA-VC: r = 0.367, P = 0.021) and BMI (FA-BF: r = −0.386, P = 0.015, FA-VC: r = −0.456, P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Postmenopausal females with OB have reduced lower-limb endothelial and exercise vasodilator function during submaximal dynamic plantarflexion exercise compared to LN and OW. Our findings indicate that obesity may predict diminished leg endothelial function, BF and VC during exercise in postmenopausal females.

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Fig. 1: Flow-Mediated Dilation.
Fig. 2: Blood Flow and Vascular Conductance Responses to Exercise.
Fig. 3: Correlations between Body Mass Index and Blood Flow and Vascular Conductance During Exercise.
Fig. 4: Correlations between Superficial Femoral Artery Flow-Mediated Dilation and Blood Flow and Vascular Conductance During Exercise.

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Data availability

Data can be made available upon request to the co-authors.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants for their time and efforts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Stephen M. Fischer, Arun Maharaj, Yejin Kang, Katherine N. Dillon, Mauricio A. Martinez & Arturo Figueroa

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA

    Arun Maharaj

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SF was responsible for data collection, extracting and analyzing data, interpreting the data, and writing the manuscript. AM contributed to designing protocol, data collection, and writing the manuscript. YK, MAM, and KND were responsible for editing the manuscript. AF was responsible for conception of the study design and protocols, writing and editing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Arturo Figueroa.

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Fischer, S.M., Maharaj, A., Kang, Y. et al. Endothelial and exercise vasodilation are reduced in postmenopausal females with obesity versus lean and overweight. Int J Obes (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01462-1

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