Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background As individuals age, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases, largely due to progressive stiffening of the arteries. This relationship underscores the critical need to monitor arterial stiffness as a predictor of CVD outcomes. While aerobic exercise has demonstrated benefits for...

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Authors: Cavero Redondo, Iván; Fonseca, Helder; Otero Luis, Iris; Bohn, Lucimere; Lever Megina, Carla Geovanna; Moreno Herráiz, Nerea; Saz Lara, Alicia del
Format: Article
Publication date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Repository:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
OAI Identifier:oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/44897
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10578/44897
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Arterial stiffness
Pulse wave velocity
Trunk flexibility
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author Cavero Redondo, Iván
author2 Fonseca, Helder
Otero Luis, Iris
Bohn, Lucimere
Lever Megina, Carla Geovanna
Moreno Herráiz, Nerea
Saz Lara, Alicia del
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author_browse Bohn, Lucimere
Cavero Redondo, Iván
Fonseca, Helder
Lever Megina, Carla Geovanna
Moreno Herráiz, Nerea
Otero Luis, Iris
Saz Lara, Alicia del
author_facet Cavero Redondo, Iván
Fonseca, Helder
Otero Luis, Iris
Bohn, Lucimere
Lever Megina, Carla Geovanna
Moreno Herráiz, Nerea
Saz Lara, Alicia del
author_role author
collection RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
description Background As individuals age, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases, largely due to progressive stiffening of the arteries. This relationship underscores the critical need to monitor arterial stiffness as a predictor of CVD outcomes. While aerobic exercise has demonstrated benefits for vascular health, the influence of flexibility, particularly trunk flexibility, on arterial stiffness remains underexplored. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the overall relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness across different age groups (young, middle-aged, and older adults) and according to sex. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the MOOSE and JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis on systematic reviews of etiology and risk guidelines. Searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified studies investigating the association between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity. Data extraction, quality assessment, and statistical analyses were performed following predefined criteria. Results Five studies involving 2797 participants were included. Poor trunk flexibility was associated with increased arterial stiffness compared to high flexibility (pooled standardized mean difference = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.39, -0.14), with substantial heterogeneity observed. Subgroup analyses by sex and age revealed significant associations predominantly in men and older individuals. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, and meta-regression models showed no significant differences according to age, BMI, or blood pressure. No evidence of publication bias was found. Conclusion Poor trunk flexibility is linked to elevated arterial stiffness across diverse demographic groups, highlighting its potential as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular health. Physiological mechanisms involving connective tissue integrity and neural regulation may underpin this relationship. Understanding the role of flexibility in arterial health could inform targeted interventions to mitigate age-related increases in arterial stiffness and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore potential sex-specific differences.
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instname_str Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
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oai_identifier_str oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/44897
publishDate 2024
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publisher PLOS One
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reponame_str RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
spelling Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis Cavero Redondo, Iván Fonseca, Helder Otero Luis, Iris Bohn, Lucimere Lever Megina, Carla Geovanna Moreno Herráiz, Nerea Saz Lara, Alicia del Arterial stiffness Pulse wave velocity Trunk flexibility Background As individuals age, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases, largely due to progressive stiffening of the arteries. This relationship underscores the critical need to monitor arterial stiffness as a predictor of CVD outcomes. While aerobic exercise has demonstrated benefits for vascular health, the influence of flexibility, particularly trunk flexibility, on arterial stiffness remains underexplored. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the overall relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness across different age groups (young, middle-aged, and older adults) and according to sex. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the MOOSE and JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis on systematic reviews of etiology and risk guidelines. Searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified studies investigating the association between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity. Data extraction, quality assessment, and statistical analyses were performed following predefined criteria. Results Five studies involving 2797 participants were included. Poor trunk flexibility was associated with increased arterial stiffness compared to high flexibility (pooled standardized mean difference = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.39, -0.14), with substantial heterogeneity observed. Subgroup analyses by sex and age revealed significant associations predominantly in men and older individuals. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, and meta-regression models showed no significant differences according to age, BMI, or blood pressure. No evidence of publication bias was found. Conclusion Poor trunk flexibility is linked to elevated arterial stiffness across diverse demographic groups, highlighting its potential as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular health. Physiological mechanisms involving connective tissue integrity and neural regulation may underpin this relationship. Understanding the role of flexibility in arterial health could inform targeted interventions to mitigate age-related increases in arterial stiffness and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore potential sex-specific differences. PLOS One https://hdl.handle.net/10578/44897
spellingShingle Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Cavero Redondo, Iván
Arterial stiffness
Pulse wave velocity
Trunk flexibility
title Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort Exploring the relationship between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
topic Arterial stiffness
Pulse wave velocity
Trunk flexibility
topic_facet Arterial stiffness
Pulse wave velocity
Trunk flexibility
url https://hdl.handle.net/10578/44897