ASSESSMENT OF VASCULAR AGE IN POST-COVID-19 ADULTS UNDERGOING MAXIMUM INCREMENTAL EXERCISE TEST

• Grant number: 24/09199-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Effort
• Principal Investigator: Guilherme Borges Pereira
• Grantee: Vitória Luiz Diotto
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Vascular age is a crucial indicator of cardiovascular health, influenced by several factors, and its change may indicate a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns about possible changes in vascular age due to the acute and chronic impact on blood vessels, justifying the need to understand such effects to guide public health strategies. Objective: The objective of this research is to investigate the immediate and short-term effects on vascular age after performing an incremental maximum physical exertion test in individuals convalescing from mild to moderate COVID-19, aiming to understand the acute impacts of exercise physical activity in these patients and its potential influence on vascular health. Materials and Methods: Individuals between 18 and 40 years old, with stable body mass and adequate Body Mass Index (BMI), will be recruited for the study, after approval of the project by the Ethics and Research Committee. Recruitment will be carried out at the Federal University of São Carlos, with physical and digital dissemination, and participants will be informed about the procedures and risks. After selection, participants will sign a consent form, including those with complete vaccination against COVID-19, while exclusion criteria include pregnancy, virus infection or physical limitations. The study will be conducted at the Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory, under the supervision of Doctor Professor Guilherme Borges Pereira, aiming to investigate the effects of exercise on cardiovascular parameters and arterial compliance, using the Bruce protocol for maximal cardiopulmonary testing. The physiological response will be assessed at different times before, during and after the test, using the Arteris AOP® Cardios equipment to measure pulse wave velocity, Augmentation Index (AIX) and Cardiac Output (CO), with the aim of understanding the impacts of acute exercise on vascular health. The data will be statistically analyzed using appropriate tests to determine its relevance, with a significance established at 95% or more, using software such as GraphPad Prism and/or SPSS.