Cardiac abnormalities due to premature birth can be corrected by exercise in early adulthood

Category: Health published by Shameen Published on: May 05, 2019, 23:59 IST Update: May 05, 2019, 23:59 IST

Washington: According to a study presented at EuroCMR 2019, people with heart defects due to prematurity could correct the damage caused by exercise in early adulthood.

Today, about one to two percent of adults are born more than two months premature (very premature) and have cardiac abnormalities that increase their risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, the heart is smaller and needs to pump harder to feed the body with blood.

"Until now, we did not know if this was permanent or likely to improve. For the first time, we showed how to make premature hearts work as well as their peers. No medication was required – just a 14-week exercise program, "said Anne Monique Nuyt, co-principal investigator.

The study included 14 participants aged 18 to 29, eight of whom were born very early and six who served as controls. All participants completed a 14-week aerobic and strength training program three times a week. This included two supervised group sessions of 90 minutes and one home monitoring session.

The structure and function of the heart were measured before and after the exercise program using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

Compared with controls, cardiac structure and function were worse among premature infants at the start of the study, but similar after the exercise program. Specifically, the pumping and contraction functions of the heart have normalized, which means that the heart no longer has to work harder to deliver blood to the body.

"We found that a short exercise program could improve overall cardiac performance and subtle abnormalities of heart function in premature adults," said first author Elizabeth Hillier.

"Advances in neonatal care have allowed premature babies to survive, but abnormal heart shape and function are maintained. Exercising at the beginning of adulthood corrects these deficiencies, which should reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, Hillier added.

The team used a CMR protocol to visualize subtle changes in the shape and function of the heart. The imaging was performed during a hyperventilation for 60 seconds, followed by a respiratory pause to badess the heart's functioning in a stressful situation (similar to diving).

Hillier said, "With this technique, we can detect even mild abnormalities and track response to interventions. Unlike other methods, we did not need to inject dye, we did not use radiation, and we did not need to administer medication to stress the heart. "

Source: ANI