Effects of 16-Week Progressive Resistance Training on Arterial Stiffness and Inflammatory Markers in Older Women with and Without Metabolic Syndrome

Background This study examined whether a 16-week progressive resistance training program could affect metabolic syndrome-related variables, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and inflammatory markers in older women with and without metabolic syndrome. Methods Thirty-two women aged 70–85 years completed a 16-week resistance training program performed three times per week. Participants were assigned to either a metabolic syndrome group (MSG, n = 16) or a metabolically healthy group (MHG, n = 16). Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results Among the metabolic syndrome-related variables, DBP showed a significant main effect of time, fasting glucose showed significant main effects of group and time, and TG showed a significant main effect of time. HDL-C showed a significant group × time interaction, along with significant main effects of group and time. cf-PWV also showed a significant group × time interaction and a significant main effect of time. For inflammatory markers, IL-8 showed a significant main effect of time, and MCP-1 showed significant main effects of group and time. Conclusions The 16-week resistance training program was associated with changes in several vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory outcomes in older women. Significant group × time interactions were observed for HDL-C and cf-PWV, while several other variables showed overall group and/or time effects. These findings support the potential value of progressive resistance training as a practical non-pharmacological approach for older adults.