PMID 36514446

Research
All papers

Effect of adding high-intensity interval training to diet and carboxytherapy on metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in women with metabolic syndrome

Ahmad AM, Soliman AFA, Shaheen EA, Obaya HE

Question

Does adding HIIT to low-fat diet and carboxytherapy improve metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in women with metabolic syndrome?

Summary

In 60 women aged 50-60 with metabolic syndrome, adding 4 weeks of treadmill HIIT to low-fat diet and carboxytherapy improved waist circumference, BMI, triglycerides, blood pressure, HDL, and fasting glucose more than diet and carboxytherapy alone. The study was not randomized and included only women.

Methodology

  • Women aged 50-60 years with metabolic syndrome.
  • 60 participants.
  • Treadmill.
  • Work intervals: 4 minutes.
  • Recovery: 3 minutes active recovery.
  • Intensity: 85%-90% HRpeak work; 60%-70% HRpeak recovery.
  • 33 minutes.
  • 3 sessions/week.
  • 4 weeks.
  • Nonrandomized active-controlled intervention
  • Waist and BMI, Triglycerides and HDL, Blood pressure, and Fasting blood glucose were tracked.

Outcomes

Waist/BMI

HIIT addition improved waist circumference and BMI more than active control.

Post WC p<0.001; post BMI p=0.031; change scores p<0.001.

Improved

Lipids

Triglycerides improved more with HIIT; HDL change score favored HIIT.

Post TG p<0.001; post HDL p=0.075; HDL change p=0.008.

Improved

BP/glucose

SBP, DBP, and fasting glucose improved more with HIIT addition.

Post SBP p=0.026, DBP p=0.001, FBG p=0.003.

Improved

Insights

  • A 4 x 4-minute treadmill protocol can be clinically prescribed from HRpeak after symptom-limited testing.
  • Effects cannot be separated from low-fat diet and carboxytherapy.

Limitations

  • No randomization and possible selection bias.
  • No isolated carboxytherapy or HIIT-only arm.
  • Only women were enrolled.
  • Short 4-week intervention.
  • Baseline DBP differed between groups.

Safety

  • Patients underwent physician referral/clinical examination, contraindication screening, and a symptom-limited maximal treadmill test; the test was completed safely and stopped for volitional exhaustion.
  • Carboxytherapy caused needle pain, brief burning lasting under 1 minute, and occasional capillary bleeding in some injection areas, but no serious adverse effects were reported.
  • No pharmaceutical treatment was administered; diet compliance was checked weekly. Dropout/adherence numbers were not reported beyond n=30 per group in results.