AIMS: Inflammation plays an essential role in the atherosclerotic process, and chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) seem to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. A possible common inflammatory basis for the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis has been suggested. In this study we investigated the effect of physical exercise and the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor pravastatin on peripheral markers of inflammation in subjects with the metabolic syndrome. METHODS: The study was an unmasked randomized 2x2 factorial trial of 12 weeks duration. RESULTS: In the combined exercise groups there was a significant reduction in MCP-1 and IL-8 of 48 pg/ml (p = 0.04) and 1.0 pg/ml (p = 0.007), respectively, as compared to the combined non-exercise groups. There was also a significant reduction versus baseline of 50 pg/ml (33%) (p = 0.002) and 0.35 pg/ml (13%) (p = 0.03) for MCP-1 and IL-8, respectively. Changes in MCP-1 were significantly correlated to changes in visceral fat (r = 0.41, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The protective effect of exercise might in part be due to suppression of the inflammatory process.
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