Obesity, physical inactivity and aging are associated with declines in glucose, lipid and adipose tissue metabolism and altered sympathoadrenal responses. To distinguish the age-related declines in cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic function from those due to obesity and physical inactivity, healthy obese sedentary men, aged 45-80 yrs old were evaluated at entry into the study and after interventions of weight loss (WL) or exercise training (ET). Metabolic evaluations included glucose tolerance, insulin secretion and sensitivity by euglycemic clamps, lipoprotein lipid profiles, HDL2 cholesterol and sympathoadrenal responses to upright posture. Norepinephrine responses to upright posture decreased to a greater degree with ET than WL and were associated with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as heart rate. Furthermore, HDI-C levels rose and plasma triglyceride levels decreased and insulin sensitivity rose to a greater extent with WL than ET. Thus, interventions of exercise training and weight loss have the potential to reduce metabolism risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and blood pressure in obese older men. This suggests that changes in lifestyle even at older ages have the potential to reduce risk for morbidity and mortality from CAD. This has implications with regard to improving the cardiovascular status of older individuals and reducing the risk of chronic morbidity and mortality from chronic cardiovascular complications. Studies in this project are supported by collaborative investigations with scientists in the Laboratory of Clinical Physiology, Metabolism Section, GRC, NIA with investigators at Johns Hopkins University and Francis Scott Key Medical Center funded by The Johns Hopkins Academic Teaching Nursing Home Award from the NIA.
