Vascular effects of exercise training and lipid-lowering therapy at rest and during exercise in hypercholesterolaemia

血管内皮细胞的健康对维持循环的正常功能非常重要。在血液胆固醇浓度升高的患者中，这些细胞的功能异常，这被认为是导致这种情况下血管功能障碍和心血管疾病的重要原因。我们最近证明，旨在降低血液中胆固醇浓度的药物治疗可以显着改善血管功能。在其他研究中，我们已经证明运动训练可以改善血管功能。这项研究的目的是确定高血胆固醇是否通过限制血液流向运动肌肉而损害运动能力。这也是我们的目标，以确定是否运动训练可以产生额外的好处，从降低胆固醇在那些最初的高胆固醇。将在静息状态、药物刺激反应和运动期间研究血管功能。将使用同步超声（高频声，声纳）和多普勒测量评估前臂的血管功能，这些测量评估手肘折痕附近大动脉的大小和血流。在测量过程中，进行程序以改变手臂血管中的流动，一些取决于内皮细胞的功能能力，而一些独立于这些细胞。除了评估血管功能外，还将在每次干预前后测量运动耐量。通过检查降脂和运动训练对休息和运动血流反应的影响，这项研究将有助于确定改善高胆固醇患者血管功能和心血管健康的最佳方法。

The health of the cells which line blood vessels, endothelial cells, is now known to be important in maintaining normal function of the circulation. In patients with elevated blood cholesterol concentration, the function of these cells is abnormal and this is considered to contribute importantly to the blood vessel dysfunction and cardiovascular disease seen in this condition. We have recently demonstrated that drug therapy aimed at decreasing cholesterol concentration in the blood can significantly improve blood vessel function. In other studies we have demonstrated that exercise training improves blood vessel function. The purpose of this research is to determine whether high blood cholesterol impairs exercise capacity by limiting blood flow to exercising muscle. It is also our goal to determine whether exercise training can produce benefit additional to that resulting from lowering cholesterol in those with initially high cholesterol. Blood vessel function will be studied at rest, in response to pharmacological stimulation and during exercise. Vascular function in the forearm will be assessed using synchronised ultrasound (high frequency sound, sonar) and Doppler measures which assess the size of, and flow in, the large artery near the elbow crease. During measurements, procedures are undertaken to alter flow in the arm blood vessels, some depending upon functional ability of the endothelial cells and some independent of those cells. In addition to assessment of blood vessel function, measurements of exercise tolerance will be taken before and after each intervention. By examining the effects of lipid-lowering and exercise training on rest and exercise blood flow responses, this research will help determine the best approach to improving blood vessel function and cardiovascular fitness in patients with high cholesterol.