The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of resistance training on cardiovascular function of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). In total, 30 patients with PAD were invited to participate in this randomized controlled trial, randomly allocated to a control (n = 15, 66 +/- 2 years; stretching and relaxation exercises) or resistance training group (n = 15, 60 +/- 3 years; 3 sets of 10 repetitions of 8 whole-body exercises, with a 2-minute interval between sets). Resting and 24-hour blood pressure (BP), cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, and autonomic variables were obtained before and after 12 weeks of intervention. A blinded investigator performed all analyses. After 12 weeks of intervention there was maintenance of resting systolic, diastolic, and mean BP (p > 0.18), cardiac output (p = 0.46), and systemic vascular resistance (p = 0.55) in both groups. There was a time effect reduction in heart rate (p = 0.02), accompanied by changes in cardiac autonomic modulation (p = 0.03). There were no changes in 24-hour systolic, diastolic, and mean BP, heart rate, or rate pressure product (p > 0.05). The BP variability decreased in systolic (asleep p = 0.003), diastolic (24 hours and awake p = 0.001), and mean (24 hours and asleep p < 0.02) only in the resistance training (RT) group. Twelve weeks of RT did not change resting and 24-hour BP, or their hemodynamic and autonomic determinants in patients with PAD; however, there were decreases in BP variability, indicating that it could be considered as an alternative to reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with PAD.

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