Adam Patrick

Introduction. Atherosclerosis is responsible for 50% of all cardiovascular disease mortalities and is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke in the world.¹ A sedentary lifestyle that leads to obesity is correlated with an increased incidence of atherosclerosis.¹ Aerobic exercise has been found to decrease obesity and decrease a person’s risk of developing atherosclerosis.² Obesity is correlated with a chronic level of inflammation, and inflammation is tied to the development of atherosclerosis.³ Exercise helps lower obesity and lower the chronic inflammation that accompanies obesity.³ Studies have shown the exercise can lower inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1B and can also downregulate the state of leukocytosis that accompanies an inflammatory state.^3,4  Methods: researchers gathered a group of 4,800 mice were divided into 3groups: a sedentary group, an exercise group for 9 weeks then sedentary for 3 weeks, then a sedentary group for three weeks and exercise group for 9 weeks. The exercise consisted of running on a wheel for 30 minutes a day. The mice were sacrificed after 12 weeks.⁴ Results: the various results obtained by outside researchers showed that the exercise groups had a lower level of leukocytosis and inflammation when compared to the control sedentary group.⁴ The level of leukocytosis was attributed to the amount of leptin + receptor stromal cells; these cells arose from the bone marrow and then entered circulation where they bonded with leptin.⁴ The amount of leptin positive receptor stromal cells was decreased in the exercise group compared to the control.⁴ A novel finding in the researchers found was that the level of leptin did not correlate with increased or decreased leukocytosis, it was the increase in leptin +stromal cells that lead to an increase in leukocytosis. ⁴ The exercise group also had lower incidence of developing atherosclerosis, and the development of atherosclerosis was attributed to the inflammatory state associated with leukocytosis.⁴ Conclusions: studies have shown that exercise can reduce the overall level of inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. This is done by exercise directly modifying the body’s physiology by reducing leukocytosis and the inflammatory state. Exercise reduces obesity, which also reduces the inflammatory state in the body and reduces atherosclerosis development.

1. Sanchez-Rodriguez E, Egea-Zorrilla A, Plaza-Díaz J, et al. The Gut Microbiota and Its Implication in the Development of Atherosclerosis and Related CardiovascularDiseases. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):605. doi:10.3390/nu12030605.
2. Porter A, Schilsky S, Evenson K et al. The Association of Sport and Exercise Activities With Cardiovascular Disease Risk: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Journal of Physical Activity and Health . 2019;16(9):698-705. doi:10.1123/jpah.2018-0671.
3. Frodermann V, Rohde D, Courties G, et al. Exercise reduces inflammatory cell production and cardiovascular inflammation via instruction of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Nature Medicine . 2019;25(11):1761-1771. doi:10.1038/s41591- 019-0633-x.
4. Mazzotta C, Basu S, Gower A et al. Perivascular Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Ischemic Heart Disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol . 2021;41(3):1239-1250. doi:10.1161/atvbaha.120.315865.