Effect of Moderate Aerobic Training on Serum Levels of Angiogenic and Angiostatic Factors in Women with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: One of the consequences of diabetes is an angiogenesis disorder. Physical activity plays an important role in the improvement of this disorder. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of moderate aerobic training on serum levels of angiogenic (NO, VEGF) and angiostatic (ES) factors in women with type 2 diabetes. Materials & Methods: In this randomized clinical trial with pretest-posttest design, 28 women with type 2 diabetes, age range of 40-50 years , and mean weight  of 70.58 ± 2.11 were randomly assigned into control and exercise groups (n=14). The training intervention included 8 weeks of moderate aerobic exercises (60-70% HR max) for 60 min each session and 5 times per week. Metabolic parameters and serum levels of NO, VEGF and ES were evaluated before and 48 h after the exercise protocol. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measure ANOVA in SPSS software (Version 24) (P<0.05). Finding: Eight weeks of aerobic training in women with type 2 diabetes caused a significant increase in NO (P=0.09), VEGF (P=0.014), insulin sensitivity (P=0.01), and HDL (P=0.040). However, there was no significant increase in ES(P=0.103). Moreover a significant decrease was observed in weight, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, A1C (P=0.01), low density lipoprotein (P=0.029), and cholesterol (P=0.012), compared to the control group.   Discussion & Conclusions: Mild regular aerobic exercise seems to have a protective effect against vascular problems due to the improvement of serum levels of angiogenesis and metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes.