Rapid Communication – Effect of Exercise Training on Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Concentration in Women Aged 65-74 years with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: Basal plasma concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous, competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, is elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes. ADMA may contribute to the endothelial dysfunction and associated vascular complications observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The present study investigated the effect of 12 weeks of supervised walking exercise on plasma ADMA concentration in women aged 65-74 years with type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods: Fourteen women (aged 69 ± 3 yrs) with uncomplicated type 2 diabetes, completed 12 weeks of supervised, moderate-intensity walking at an intensity equivalent to their individual gas-exchange threshold. Blood was sampled for ADMA concentration before and after a 6-week intervention-free control period, and again after 6 and 12 weeks of exercise training. Results: Plasma ADMA concentration was found to be significantly lower after 12-weeks of exercise training when compared with baseline (0 wk) measurements. These results were accompanied by significant increases in time to exhaustion, relative and absolute peak oxygen uptake, and oxygen uptake at gas-exchange threshold. Conclusion/interpretation: Regular, moderate-intensity exercise decreases circulating ADMA concentrations in older women with type 2 diabetes. These results suggest that ADMA may play a role in the training-induced reduction in cardiovascular disease risk seen with exercise training in individuals with type 2 Diabetes.