Effects of short-term resistance training on endothelial function and inflammation markers in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of 12-weeks of strength training on endothelial function and inflammatory markers in elderly individuals with T2DM. Methods Forty-four elderly patients with T2DM were screened for participation. After completion of the baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to either the resistance training group (RT) or an active control group (AC). Inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10 and CRP) and blood lipid profiles, glycated hemoglobin, basal artery diameter and flow mediated dilation were evaluated before and after the intervention. Comparisons between groups were obtained from the generalized estimation equation and all tests were two-tailed and the alpha level for significance set at 0.05. Results TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased in both groups, while no interactions were found for flow mediated dilation and basal artery diameter. No significant differences were found for blood lipid profile and glycated hemoglobin for both groups after the intervention period. Conclusions No significant changes were found between the RT and AC groups, regarding inflammatory profile and endothelial function, which does not prove the superiority of this intervention model in the studied period.