Efeito do exercício físico na modulação autonômica cardíaca em idosos: revisão sistemática

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review of randomized controlled studies was to assess the available scientific evidence on the effect of physical exercise on the muscular vasodilator response and cardiac autonomic modulation in the elderly. Methods: The articles selected for this review were indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE, SCIELO and LILACS. The descriptors used were "exercise” and "aged” and the keywords “vasodilator response muscular”, “muscle blood flow”, “heart rate variability” and “cardiac autonomic modulation”. Results: Through this search strategy 1,686 articles were found. Of these, only five were considered eligible for data analysis. Conclusion: This review indicates that physical exercise can be effective in improving cardiac autonomic modulation in healthy elderly and for elderly after an acute cardiovascular event, with favorable prognosis, with heart failure and chronic atrial fibrillation. In elderly patients with heart failure physical exercise can also be effective in improving muscular vasodilator response.