Effects of different exercise modalities on lipid profile in the elderly population: A meta-analysis

Hezhang Yun; Wenbo Su; Haotian Zhao; Huixin Li; Zhongjie Wang; Xianyou Cui; Changjin Xi; Ruirui Gao; Yaowei Sun; Chang Liu

doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000033854

Effects of different exercise modalities on lipid profile in the elderly population: A meta-analysis

Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Jul 21;102(29):e33854. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033854.

Authors

Hezhang Yun^{1

2}, Wenbo Su³, Haotian Zhao⁴, Huixin Li², Zhongjie Wang¹, Xianyou Cui¹, Changjin Xi¹, Ruirui Gao⁵, Yaowei Sun^{2

6}, Chang Liu²

Affiliations

¹ The Public Sports Department of the School, Zhejiang Guangsha Vocational and Technical University of construction, Dongyang, China.
² School of Sport Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Sports Teaching and Research, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Physical Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
⁵ School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Yufeng experimental school, Kunshan, China.

Abstract

Background: Dyslipidemia, characterized by elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), has long been recognized as a major risk factor for age-related diseases. Recent studies have shown that exercise can be effective in mitigating dyslipidemia in older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of different exercise modalities (aerobic exercise [AE], resistance exercise [RE], aerobic+resistance exercise [AE+RE], and high-intensity interval training) on lipid profile in the elderly population, in order to identify the most effective exercise modality for maintaining lipid profile health in older adults.

Methods: A comprehensive database search of PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. Eligible studies were individually assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2, and the data were analyzed and processed using RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software.

Results: This study identified 20 randomized controlled trials with a total of 988 subjects, of which 541 were in the exercise group and 447 in the control group. Our analysis showed that AE significantly reduced TC (P < .05), triglycerides (P < .01), and LDL-C (P < .01), while increasing HDL-C (P < .01) in the elderly population. RE significantly reduced the elevation of TC (P < .01) and LDL-C (P < .05) indices in the elderly population, while AE+RE had a significant effect on decreasing TC (P < .01) and LDL-C (P < .01) indices.

Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that AE is the most effective exercise modality for reducing dyslipidemia in older adults, compared to RE, AE+RE, and high-intensity interval training. These findings suggest that AE should be promoted as an important lifestyle intervention to improve lipid profile health in the elderly population. However, further research is needed to investigate the optimal duration, frequency, and intensity of AE required to achieve the most beneficial effects on lipid profile health in older adults.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

Aged
Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol, LDL
Exercise
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia*
Lipids*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Triglycerides

Substances

Lipids
Cholesterol, LDL
Triglycerides
Cholesterol, HDL