Key result
High-dose statins optimally reduce arterial stiffness, while vibration and interval training lead non-pharmacological therapies.
Why the study?
Arterial stiffness predicts cardiovascular disease risk, but the optimal interventions for arterial stiffness in high-risk CVD groups are unknown.
Do statins and various exercise modalities reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure in individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease?
Meta-Analysis (n=2,931)
Do statins and various exercise modalities reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure in individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease?
In high-risk cardiovascular populations, high-dose statins optimally reduce arterial stiffness, while whole-body vibration is the most effective non-pharmacological intervention for lowering blood pressure.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports prioritizing high-dose statins for arterial stiffness in high-risk CVD; extends comparative rankings of non-pharmacological options.
Background and aims: Arterial stiffness (AS) predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and relates to multiple factors. But the best interventions for AS in high-risk CVD groups are unknown. This review focuses on how different interventions affect AS and related indicators. Methods: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Web of Science for relevant studies. Inclusion criteria: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCT); (2) participants with CVD risk factors as per American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines; (3) interventions including Whole-Body Vibration (WBV), statins (STA), interval training (INT), aerobic exercise (AE), resistance exercise (RT), and combined exercise (CT); (4) control groups with usual care or placebo; (5) outcomes of pulse wave velocity (PWV), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP); (6) studies in English. Data were analyzed using a random effects network meta-analysis and assessed for bias using the Cochrane tool. Results: < 0.001). hSTA showed optimal PWV reduction (SUCRA=92.0), while WBV showed highest efficacy for SBP (SUCRA=94.0) and DBP (SUCRA=77.3). Conclusions: For CVD high-risk populations, high doses of statins (hSTA) optimally reduces AS; WBV is the top non-drug AS intervention, while INT best improves both AS and BP short-term. Combined, these interventions significantly enhance outcomes. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=564538, PROSPERO CRD42024564538.
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Chen et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in High risk for cardiovascular disease (n=2,931). High-dose statins (hSTA) vs. Usual care, placebo, or no exercise was evaluated on Pulse wave velocity (PWV) (SMD -1.39, 95% CI -2.22, -0.56, p=<0.0001). High-dose statins optimally reduced arterial stiffness compared to control (SMD -1.39), while whole-body vibration and interval training were the most effective non-pharmacological interventions.
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