Effect of 5 years of exercise training on the cardiovascular risk profile of older adults: the Generation 100 randomized trial

Jon Magne Letnes; Ida Berglund; Kristin E Johnson; Håvard Dalen; Bjarne M Nes; Stian Lydersen; Hallgeir Viken; Erlend Hassel; Sigurd Steinshamn; Elisabeth Kleivhaug Vesterbekkmo; Asbjørn Støylen; Line S Reitlo; Nina Zisko; Fredrik H Bækkerud; Atefe R Tari; Jan Erik Ingebrigtsen; Silvana B Sandbakk; Trude Carlsen; Sigmund A Anderssen; Maria A Fiatarone Singh; Jeff S Coombes; Jorunn L Helbostad; Øivind Rognmo; Ulrik Wisløff; Dorthe Stensvold

doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehab721

Effect of 5 years of exercise training on the cardiovascular risk profile of older adults: the Generation 100 randomized trial

Eur Heart J. 2022 Jun 1;43(21):2065-2075. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab721.

Authors

Jon Magne Letnes^{1

2

3}, Ida Berglund¹, Kristin E Johnson¹, Håvard Dalen^{1

2

3}, Bjarne M Nes^{1

2}, Stian Lydersen⁴, Hallgeir Viken¹, Erlend Hassel^{5

6}, Sigurd Steinshamn^{1

6}, Elisabeth Kleivhaug Vesterbekkmo^{1

2}, Asbjørn Støylen^{1

2}, Line S Reitlo¹, Nina Zisko¹, Fredrik H Bækkerud¹, Atefe R Tari¹, Jan Erik Ingebrigtsen⁷, Silvana B Sandbakk^{1

8}, Trude Carlsen¹, Sigmund A Anderssen⁹, Maria A Fiatarone Singh^{10

11}, Jeff S Coombes¹², Jorunn L Helbostad¹³, Øivind Rognmo^{1

2}, Ulrik Wisløff^{1

12}, Dorthe Stensvold^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post Box 8905, Trondheim 7491, Norway.
² Department of Cardiology, St Olavs University Hospital, Prinsesse Kristinas gate 3, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
³ Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Kirkegata 2, Levanger 7600, Norway.
⁴ Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post Box 8905, Trondheim 7491, Norway.
⁵ Norwegian Armed Forces Occupational Health Service, Post Box 800, Lillehammer 2617, Norway.
⁶ Department of Thoracic Medicine, Clinic of Thoracic and Occupational Medicine, St Olavs University Hospital, Prinsesse Kristinas gate 3, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
⁷ Department of Sociology and Political Science, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post Box 8905, Trondheim 7491, Norway.
⁸ Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post Box 8905, Trondheim 7491, Norway.
⁹ Department of Sports Medicine, The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Sognsveien 220, Oslo 0863, Norway.
¹⁰ Sydney School of Health Sciences and Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
¹¹ Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, 1200 Centre St, Boston, MA 02131, USA.
¹² School of Human Movement and Nutrition Science, University of Queensland, Human Movement Studies Building, St Lucia QLD, Queensland 4067, Australia.
¹³ Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post Box 8905, Trondheim 7491, Norway.

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 5 years of supervised exercise training (ExComb), and the differential effects of subgroups of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), with control on the cardiovascular risk profile in older adults.

Methods and results: Older adults aged 70-77 years from Trondheim, Norway (n = 1567, 50% women), able to safely perform exercise training were randomized to 5 years of two weekly sessions of HIIT [∼90% of peak heart rate (HR), n = 400] or MICT (∼70% of peak HR, n = 387), together forming ExComb (n = 787), or control (instructed to follow physical activity recommendations, n = 780). The main outcome was a continuous cardiovascular risk score (CCR), individual cardiovascular risk factors, and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). CCR was not significantly lower [-0.19, 99% confidence interval (CI) -0.46 to 0.07] and VO2peak was not significantly higher (0.39 mL/kg/min, 99% CI -0.22 to 1.00) for ExComb vs. control. HIIT showed higher VO2peak (0.76 mL/kg/min, 99% CI 0.02-1.51), but not lower CCR (-0.32, 99% CI -0.64 to 0.01) vs. control. MICT did not show significant differences compared to control or HIIT. Individual risk factors mostly did not show significant between-group differences, with some exceptions for HIIT being better than control. There was no significant effect modification by sex. The number of cardiovascular events was similar across groups. The healthy and fit study sample, and contamination and cross-over between intervention groups, challenged the possibility of detecting between-group differences.

Conclusions: Five years of supervised exercise training in older adults had little effect on cardiovascular risk profile and did not reduce cardiovascular events.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01666340.

Keywords: Ageing; Cardiorespiratory fitness; Cardiovascular risk factors; Exercise; High-intensity interval training.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Cardiovascular Diseases* / epidemiology
Cardiovascular Diseases* / prevention & control
Exercise / physiology
Female
Heart Disease Risk Factors
High-Intensity Interval Training* / methods
Humans
Male
Oxygen Consumption / physiology
Risk Factors

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01666340