Exercise-induced changes in left ventricular strain are affected by interleukin-6 activity: An exploratory analysis of a randomised-controlled trial in humans with abdominal obesity.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 38803062 · doi:10.1113/EP091800
What was done
In an exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial, 52 individuals with abdominal obesity were assigned to 12 weeks of high-intensity exercise or no exercise, combined with either interleukin-6 receptor inhibition (IL-6i) or placebo. Left ventricular (LV) strain and volume measures were evaluated pre- and post-intervention using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.
What was found
Exercise overall improved LV global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) by -5.4% (95% CI: -9.1% to -1.6%, P = 0.007). In the exercise + placebo group, LV GLS changed by -4.8% (95% CI: -7.4% to -2.2%, P < 0.0004) compared to -1.1% (95% CI: -3.8% to 1.6%, P = 0.42) in the exercise + IL-6i group; the difference in change between these two groups was -3.7% (95% CI: -7.4% to -0.02%, P = 0.049), though the interaction effect between exercise and IL-6i was not statistically significant (4.5%, 95% CI: -0.8% to 9.9%, P = 0.09). Similarly, LV global circumferential strain improved -3.1% more in exercise + placebo versus exercise + IL-6i (95% CI: -6.0% to -0.1%, P = 0.04), with a non-significant interaction (4.2%, 95% CI: -1.8% to 10.3%, P = 0.16). IL-6i showed no effect on exercise-induced changes in volume rates.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that IL-6 signaling may be required for exercise-induced functional adaptations in myocardial strain in humans with abdominal obesity.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 52 across four groups) and explicitly designated as an exploratory analysis. The primary interaction effects between exercise and IL-6 blockade did not achieve statistical significance, leaving the mechanistic role of IL-6 unconfirmed. Findings are restricted to 12 weeks in adults with abdominal obesity and do not address clinical cardiovascular endpoints.
Cited by
- supports Blunting post-exercise inflammation and cytokine release (particularly interleukin-6) reduces some of the cardiovascular adaptations to exercise.