The effect of stretching on effective aortic elastance in elderly people: noninvasive evaluation using ultrasonography

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo City University
• Principal Investigator: NIKI Kiyomi 東京都市大学, 工学部, 教授 (40218095)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SUGAWARA Motoaki 姫路獨協大学, 医療保健学部, 名誉教授 (60010914)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 実行大動脈エラスタンス / ストレッチング / 高齢者 / 超音波計測 / wave intensity

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Stretching is used to be considered as warming-up exercise. However, it is reported that stretching restrains sympathetic activity and has potential to decrease afterload on the heart. Afterload reduction is more beneficial to elderly whose elasticity of aorta is increased. However, there are few papers which measured afterload directly. Effective arterial elastance (Ea), is an integrated parameter of arterial resistance and compliance. By using ultrasonic methods, we measured noninvasively Ea before and after stretching for two month and evaluated the effect of stretching on Ea. After stretching program, Ea was reduced in the elderly group whose daily activity was low. We concluded that act of promoting stretching is required to elderly who cannot do daily exercise.

Free Research Field

循環器医学および超音波計測