Exercise intervention on cardiovascular disease risk factors in a university population in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Objective 1) To assess the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a university population, and 2) to investigate the effects of an 8-week exercise intervention on CVD risk factors. Methods Forty-six students participated in this study. Baseline cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR), blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness were also assessed. Participants performed 8weeks of exercise consisting of 60 min of moderate-high intensity exercise three times a week, and all parameters were repeated following the 8-week program. Results Participants were divided into an apparently healthy control group (BMI < 25 kg/m2) and an overweight/obese experimental group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). Both groups had low cardiorespiratory fitness and clear evidence of risk for CVD. Following the 8-week program, participants demonstrated significant improvement in biochemical parameters and in overall fitness (p < 0.05). WHRs decreased whilst peak oxygen volumes increased when comparing baseline and post-exercise values (p < 0.05). BMI decreased in both groups following exercise (p < 0.05). Systolic BP was surprisingly elevated in nearly 30% of participants, but was comparatively lower in the control group (p < 0.05). There was a clear increase in HDL-cholesterol values post-intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusion Early detection of CVD risk factors, particularly in a young population, can lead to earlier prevention of disease through lifestyle changes. Moreover, short-term exercise can have important effects on reducing CVD risk factors, improving body composition and overall cardiorespiratory fitness.

Incidence and risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus in an overweight and obese population: a long-term retrospective cohort study from a Gulf state

“…Notably, an 8-week exercise intervention programme in a UAE student population demonstrated a significant reduction in BMI. 31 In addition, other controlled intervention studies in high-risk populations 32 33 demonstrated a significant decrease in the risk of type 2 DM consequent to BMI reduction.…”

Physical-Activity-Based Interventions Targeting Overweight and Obesity among University Students – A Systematic Review

“…The 16 studies that were ultimately included in the review were all published in English between 2012 and 2021. The interventions differed in their study design in seven CCTs (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35), four RCTs (36)(37)(38)(39) and five cohort studies with a single group and pre-post design (40)(41)(42)(43)(44). The interventions were conducted in different countries around the world, including four in the USA (30,40,41,39), four in China (36,33,38,34), two in Korea (32,42) and one each in the United Emirates (29), Indonesia (31), South Africa (43), Iran (37), Jamaica (44) and in Saudi Arabia (35).…”

“…Pacholek et al (35) divided the sample into two overweight groups to analyze the change in overweight students based on the two different exercise programs. Dalibalta et al (29), in turn, used the same group allocation to use the overweight group as the intervention group (IG) and the normal weight group as the CG. Lee et al (42) has not described its main inclusion criteria in detail.…”

“…Subjects in all interventions received a physical-activity-based program that varied in type, intensity, and frequency. The training sessions for the IGs included aerobic training (40,41,33), a combination of aerobic and resistance training (35,34), the combination of strength and aerobic training (32), high-intensity interval training (31,37,38), high-intensity circuit training (42), a specific exercise or sport, namely dancing, Tae-Bo, Whole Body Vibration (WBV), volleyball (43,44,39,35) or an unspecified training program (29,30). It should be noted that the studies by Gifari et al (31) and Wei-wei & Ling (34) included an additional nutrition program in their IGs, however, these were analyzed separately.…”

Nutrition Level and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Student Population – A Systematic Review

“…Authors who have studied the effects of physical activity on body composition believe that inclusion and engagement in certain physical exercise programs contribute to a decrease in adipose tissue levels. It also provides a sound basis for the prevention of cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular diseases (Kondo, Kobayashi, & Murakami, 2006;Dalibalta, Mirshafiei, & Davison, 2017). The physical activity of the student population and their health habits in youth can affect their health status in adulthood (Tirodimos, Georgouvia, Savvala, Karanika, & Noukari, 2009).…”