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

PMID: 36514446
Journal: Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny
Published: 2022 Dec 7
Authors: 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.

## Population

- Women aged 50-60 years with metabolic syndrome.
- Sample size: 60
- Age: Experimental 54.17 +/- 2.82; control 54.10 +/- 2.64 years
- Sex: Women
- Health status: Metabolic syndrome with obesity

## Methodology

- Nonrandomized active-controlled intervention
- 4 weeks
- Clinical physical therapy/exercise setting
- Controlled study design.

## Protocol

- HIIT plus low-fat diet and carboxytherapy.
- Modality: Treadmill.
- Work intervals: 4 minutes.
- Recovery: 3 minutes active recovery.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 work intervals.
- Intensity: 85%-90% HRpeak work; 60%-70% HRpeak recovery.
- Session duration: 33 minutes.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.
- Progression: None reported.
- Low-fat diet and carboxytherapy.
- Modality: No HIIT.
- Frequency: Diet daily; carboxytherapy twice weekly.
- Program length: 4 weeks.

## Outcomes

### Waist/BMI
Status: improved
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.

### Lipids
Status: improved
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.

### BP/glucose
Status: improved
SBP, DBP, and fasting glucose improved more with HIIT addition.

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

## Practical 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 And Adherence

- 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.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36514446/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2022.121822) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9743325/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.