Conditions: Metabolic Syndrome Obese Sedentary
Keywords: mitochondria fitness statins cholesterol metabolic syndrome
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 121
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
Here we tested if statins or exercise plus statins had a greater capacity to lower metabolic syndrome risk factors in sedentary individuals with at least 2 metabolic syndrome risk factors. We also examined if statins impacted exercise response for mitochondrial content in muscle or aerobic fitness.

Detailed description:
OBJECTIVES: Determine if simvastatin impairs exercise training adaptations.

BACKGROUND: Statins are commonly prescribed in combination with therapeutic lifestyle changes, including exercise, to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in patients with the metabolic syndrome. Statin use has been linked to skeletal muscle myopathy and impaired mitochondrial function, but it is unclear whether statin use alters adaptations to exercise training.

METHODS: We examined the effects of simvastatin on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle mitochondrial content in response to aerobic exercise training. Sedentary overweight or obese adults with at least 2 metabolic syndrome risk factors (defined according to National Cholesterol Education Panel Adult Treatment Panel III criteria) were randomized to 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training or to exercise in combination with simvastatin (40 mg per day). The primary outcomes were cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) mitochondrial content (citrate synthase enzyme activity).

Arms:
arm 1: Statins (40mg/day)for an average of 12 weeks arm 2: 12 weeks of exercise training (5 days a week for 45-50 min a session) arm 3: Statins (40mg/day of simvastatin) plus exercise training (5 days/wk) for 12 weeks

Interventions: intervention 1: Statin intervention 2: Exercise only intervention 3: Statins + Exercise
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Statins (40mg/day)for 12 weeks intervention 2: 12 weeks of exercise training (5 days a week for 45-50 min a session) intervention 3: Statins (40mg/day of simvastatin) plus exercise training (5 days/wk for 45-50 min a session) for 12 weeks

Protocol document: