Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor response to maximal exercise in coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as a prognostic biomarker in coronary artery disease (CAD) and chronic heart failure (CHF). While exercise is known to acutely elevate BDNF in healthy populations, evidence in CAD and CHF remains limited. The aims of the study were: to compare resting serum BDNF concentrations between patients with CAD, CHF, and healthy controls; to determine the acute effect of a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on serum BDNF; and to explore potential moderating factors (i.e., sex, age, body mass index, lactate). Fifteen patients with CHF, 14 with CAD, and 14 age-matched healthy individuals (all male or postmenopausal females, 40–75 years) underwent a symptom-limited CPET with blood sampling pre- and post-exercise. Serum BDNF was quantified using ELISA. Repeated-measures ANOVA models and Pearson correlations were used to conduct data analyses. Resting serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in CAD patients compared to healthy controls (–11.38 ng·ml⁻¹; 95% CI = − 18.65, − 4.10). No statistically significant differences were found between the other groups ( p > .050). Maximal exercise induced a significant increase in serum BDNF (5.99 ng·ml⁻¹; 95% CI = 2.44, 9.54), with no significant differences between groups ( p = .987). Patients with CAD exhibit significantly lower resting serum BDNF than controls, while differences in CHF patients did not reach statistical significance. The BDNF response to maximal exercise in both patient groups was of similar magnitude to that of controls, although the limited sample size precludes firm conclusions. The response was independent of sex, though future research should explore inter-individual variability and the minimum intensity to increase BDNF.