Prevention of Cardiovascular Stiffening With Aging and Hypertensive Heart Disease

The purpose of this study is to determine whether vigorous exercise training 4-5 days/week for one year in sedentary middle aged (ages 40-64) individuals at high risk for future development of heart failure will improve cardiac and vascular compliance to a degree equivalent to life-long exercisers and the sedentary young. To date, no effective therapy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been found; therefore prevention is critical and discovering novel treatment strategies is essential. Exercise training if implemented in high risk patients may improve diastolic function and cardiac-vascular interactions, preventing further progression to overt heart failure.