Low‐level Laser Therapy Reduced Blood Pressure Response to Maximum Exercise in Police Officers

Police officers (PO) in Brazil are exposed to a stressor environment, being wide‐open to higher cardiovascular risk. Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction and impairment blood pressure response to exercise are markers of cardiovascular risk. Previous experimental studies have shown that low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) promotes increase in flow‐mediated dilation (FMD). Thus, we hypotetized that LLLT would improves endothelial function and decrease blood pressure in response to maximum exercise in police officers. We studied PO, submitted to LLLT (n=11, 39.4±2 years; 91.9±5 kg) for 6 months, and a matched group for age and weight that remained without any therapy was studied as a control group (C, n=7, 38.2±3 years; 83.8±3 kg). LLLT was applied twice weekly in the sublingually, with a maximum of three days between one application and another. Endothelial function was evaluated by brachial artery FMD. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were analyzed during cardiopulmonary exercise test. After intervention, LLLT increased FMD, whereas C did not change (Δ of increase= 19.5±2 and 1.5±5 %, respectively, P=0.002). Interestingly, BP response to maximum exercise decreased only in PO submitted to LLLT (pre vs. post, SBP=198±6 vs. 177±4, P=0.02; DBP= 106±2 vs. 90±1 mmHg; respectively, P<0.001) and did not change in C (p=0.19). In conclusion, our data demonstrated that LLLT could significantly increase the vascular reactivity also in humans, what seems to explain, at least in part, the improved BP response to exercise. In police officers, who are exposed to high levels of stress, LLLT would be an alternative therapeutic to prevent cardiovascular risk. Support or Funding Information CAPES ‐ Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .