Platelet activation and function in response to high intensity interval exercise and moderate continuous exercise in CABG and PCI patients.

BACKGROUND The effects of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on inflammatory markers and endothelial function have been extensively shown. However, the acute effect of HIIT on platelet activation and function in patients with recent revascularization is unclear. OBJECTIVE The purpose of present study was to compare the responses of platelet activation (CD62P) and function (platelet aggregation) to high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate continuous exercise (MCE) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) patients. METHODS Thirty patients who had CABG or PCI were randomly divided into HIIE, MCE and control groups. After determining the VO2peak, subjects in the MCE group carried out 30 min of continuous exercise at 60% of VO2peak, whereas, the subjects in HIIE group performed an interval protocol consisted of 8 repetitions of 2 min activity (running on treadmill) at 90% of VO2peak interspersed by 2 min of active recovery between repetitions at 30% of VO2peak .  Subjects in control group were seated and had no activity for the same period of time. Two blood samples were collected before and immediately after exercise and were analyzed for markers of platelet activation and function. RESULTS Data analyzes revealed that increases in platelet aggregation induced by ADP and corrected for increases in platelet count in response to MCE trial was significantly lower than HIIE group (P < 0.05). In addition, responses of CD62P to MCE trial was significantly lower compared to HIIE group (P < 0.05). Changes in plateletcrit and platelet distribution width were significantly different among the three trials where the PCT and PDW following the HIIE were higher than MCE. Platelet count increased significantly (P < 0.05) by 13% following HIIE trial. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of the present study it could be concluded that the risk of exercise-induced thrombosis is higher during HIIE than MCE in patients with recent revascularization.