Key result
Aerobic exercise trial tests 12-week impact on flow-mediated dilation in impaired glucose tolerance.
Why the study?
Although aerobic exercise ameliorates impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)-induced endothelial dysfunction, the specific regulatory roles of oxidative stress and inflammation in this process remain to be elucidated.
Does a 12-week aerobic exercise program improve vascular endothelial function in adults with impaired glucose tolerance?
RCT (n=70)
Assessor-blinded
1:1 ratio
No
Does a 12-week aerobic exercise program improve vascular endothelial function in adults with impaired glucose tolerance?
This study protocol describes an ongoing trial to assess the capacity of a 12-week aerobic exercise regimen to improve endothelial function, oxidative stress, and inflammation in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.
Awaits completion of this RCT before assessing aerobic exercise effects on endothelial function in impaired glucose tolerance; leaves open current recommendations.
Background and objective Endothelial dysfunction is a key driver of cardiovascular complications in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), with oxidative stress and inflammation playing pivotal roles in its pathogenesis. Although our previous studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise (AE) significantly ameliorates IGT-induced endothelial dysfunction, the specific roles of oxidative stress and inflammation in this process remain to be elucidated. Therefore, we designed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of AE on vascular endothelial function in patients with IGT and to further explore the underlying regulatory roles of oxidative stress and inflammation. Methods Seventy individuals diagnosed with IGT will be enrolled in this two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial, which utilizes an assessor-blinded design. Participants will be assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a non-exercise control group or a 12-week supervised AE program, consisting of three weekly sessions at 65%–75% of their maximal heart rate. The primary endpoint will be the change in flow-mediated dilation (FMD) from baseline to week 12. Secondary endpoints will include cardiovascular function, glucose and lipid metabolism, circulating inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and ex vivo functional assays using participant-derived serum, including serum transfer experiments using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and molecular profiling of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) cultured in the presence of the participants’ serum. Recruitment commenced in August 2025 and is currently ongoing. Discussion This study aims to investigate the impact of a 12-week moderate-intensity AE intervention on vascular endothelial function, oxidative stress, and inflammation levels in patients with IGT. We hypothesize that, compared with the non-exercise control group, 12 weeks of AE will significantly improve endothelial function and exert both systemic and endothelial-derived antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Clinical trial registration https://www.chictr.org.cn/ , identifier ChiCTR2500106827.
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Wu et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n=70). Aerobic exercise vs. Non-exercise control group (habitual lifestyle) was evaluated on Change in flow-mediated dilation (FMD) from baseline to week 12. As an ongoing study protocol, this randomized controlled trial will investigate whether a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention improves flow-mediated dilation in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and therefore currently reports no results.
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