Physical activity and exercise improve retinal microvascular health as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk: A systematic review

Physical activity (PA) and fitness are important modulators of vascular ageing and may therefore help expand individual health span. We aimed to systematically review the association of PA and fitness, as well as the effects of exercise interventions on the new microvascular biomarkers retinal arteriolar (CRAE) and venular (CRVE) diameters and the retinal flicker light-induced dilatation (FID) in children and adults.; PubMed, Ovid, The Cochrane, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched. 805 studies were found, and 25 full-text articles analysed. Twenty-one articles were included in this systematic review.; Higher PA levels were associated with narrower CRVE in children and adults. Physical inactivity was associated with wider CRVE in both age groups. Combined aerobic and motor skill training in school settings lead to wider CRAE in children. Aerobic exercise interventions in adults with or without CV risk factors induced wider CRAE and narrower CRVE. Studies on the effect of exercise on FID are scarce. In a twelve-week randomized controlled trial, high-intensity interval training significantly improved FID in older patients with CV risk factors.; Higher PA and fitness levels were associated with improved retinal microvascular health in children and adults. Short-term exercise interventions in healthy children and adults, as well as CV risk patients, improved retinal microvascular structure and function. Exercise has the potential to counteract microvascular remodelling and development of small vessel disease during lifespan. Retinal vessel analysis can differentiate the beneficial effects of exercise on target microvascular organ damage

Association of Parental Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity with Development of Arterial Stiffness in Prepubertal Children

The present study examined the prospective association of parental household income, education level, migration background, and physical activity (PA) behavior with the development of pulse wave velocity (PWV) in prepubertal children. A total of 223 children (initial age 6–8 years) were included in this prospective school-based cohort study from 2014 to 2018. Parental socioeconomic status, migration background, and PA behavior were assessed by the use of questionnaires at both times points. PWV was measured by an oscillometric device at follow-up (2018). No significant association of household income, education level, and parental migration background with PWV in children after four years was found. However, a high level of maternal PA was related to a lower childhood PWV at follow-up (mean (95% CI) 4.6 (4.54–4.66) m/s) compared to children of mothers with a low PA behavior (mean (95% CI) 4.7 (4.64–4.77) m/s) (p = 0.049). Children of mothers with a high PA level revealed a beneficial arterial stiffness after four years. Little evidence for an association of socioeconomic status and migration background with childhood arterial stiffness was found. Increased parental PA seems to support the development of childhood vascular health and should be considered in the generation of future primary prevention strategies of childhood cardiovascular health