BACKGROUND: Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) has been identified as a biomarker of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of endurance training on sICAM-1, as a cardiovascular inflammation factor, and lipid profiles of elderly men. METHODS: Among elderly men who volunteered to participate in this study, 24 persons were randomly selected and divided into two groups of control (n = 12) and intervention (n = 12). Training was performed 3 sessions a week for 12 weeks. The time and intensity (50 to 75% of maximum heart rate) of exercises were fixed. Blood sampling was conducted after 14 hours of fasting and 24 hours after the last session of training both in similar conditions. The commercial kit of Diaclone (France) was used for biochemical analysis and evaluation of sICAM-1 values. In order to evaluate lipid profiles, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reader (Hyperion, Pars Azmoon Co, Iran) was used. The resulting data was analyzed in SPSS15 using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, paired-t, and student's-t tests at a significance level of alpha <= 0.05. FINDINGS: The results of this study revealed that 12 weeks of endurance training significantly reduced sICAM-1 values (p <= 0.05) as a new biomarker for the prediction of cardiovascular accidents. However, no significant reduction (p <= 0.05) was observed in lipid profile values (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) of elderly men. CONCLUSION: By noticing significant reductions in inflammatory biomarker of sICAM-1, despite the absence of significant reductions in lipid profile values, caused by endurance training, perhaps sICAM-1 biomarker can be introduced as a more sensitive and accurate marker for the prediction of cardiovascular diseases.

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