Key result
Transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces vascular age by ~3 years in early cardiovascular pathology.
Why the study?
Early manifestation of cardiovascular aging in working-age men created a need to assess non-pharmacological neuromodulatory approaches such as transcranial magnetic stimulation for modifying stress-associated cardiovascular risk factors and early age-related cardiac and vascular changes.
Does a 10-day course of rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) improve stress-associated psychophysical risk factors and surrogate markers of early vascular and cardiac aging in young men with stage I hypertension and non-stenosing peripheral atherosclerosis?
RCT (n=24)
Randomized
No
Does a 10-day course of rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) improve stress-associated psychophysical risk factors and surrogate markers of early vascular and cardiac aging in young men with stage I hypertension and non-stenosing peripheral atherosclerosis?
In a small randomized trial of 24 young men with stage I hypertension and early atherosclerosis, a 10-day course of left DLPFC transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly reduced anxiety scores and improved surrogate photoplethysmographic and echocardiographic markers of vascular age and left ventricular diastolic function.
TMS may offer a nonpharmacologic option for early cardiovascular pathology; extends neuromodulation evidence to vascular aging and anxiety reduction.
Introduction: Early manifestation of cardiovascular aging in working-age men and the need to assess non-pharmacological neuromodulatory approaches to its correction make it relevant. Objective: to determine the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on stress-associated factors of cardiovascular risk and markers of early age-related changes in the heart and blood vessels. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 24 patients with age-associated cardiovascular pathology (stage I hypertension, atherosclerosis of the arterial walls) in the design of a prospective randomized controlled trial. The patients in the observation group received a course of transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain (TMS), which was compared with the control group. The following cardiovascular risk factors were assessed: anxiety levels according to the Spielberger— Khanin scale, the results of the Self-Assessment-Activity-Mood (SAM) questionnaire, photoplethysmographic indices of vascular elasticity (SI, ALP75, RI, AGI), vascular age (VA), the distribution of pulse wave types (A/B/C), and the E/A ratio as an indicator of left ventricular diastolic function. Results: TMS significantly improved psychophysical status (reduction in personal and situational anxiety, increase in integral indicators of SAN) and vascular profile: reduction in vascular age (VA), reduction in the proportions of waves A and B with an increase in wave C, as well as improvement in diastolic function (E/A). Conclusion: The obtained results are consistent with the concept of the “brain–heart” axis and indicate the potential of TMS as a component of personalized preventive and rehabilitation programs for early manifestations of cardiovascular pathology. The duration and reproducibility of the effects require further research.
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Obrezan et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Age-associated cardiovascular pathology (stage I hypertension and non-occlusive peripheral atherosclerosis) (n=24). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex vs. Standard medical therapy alone (control group) was evaluated on Change in vascular age (VA) in years (p=<0.05). Transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly reduced vascular age by 2.89 years (-7.5%, p<0.05 vs control) and lowered anxiety by 11.5% in men with early cardiovascular pathology.
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