Work

Radial Artery Pulse Wave Response to Submaximal Walking in Healthy Women with Obesity Phenotypes Manuscript Draft

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Background. Body fat distribution may shape vascular function beyond overall adiposity. Whether radial pulse wave responses to acute exercise differ between android and gynoid obesity phenotypes in premenopausal women remains unclear. Methods. In this exploratory cross-sectional study, 42 premenopausal women aged 20–45 years were classified as normal-weight controls (; n = 13), with gynoid obesity (, ; n = 14), or with android obesity (, ; n = 15). Each participant completed a single-stage submaximal treadmill walking test; radial pulse waves, heart rate variability (HRV), and pulse analysis indices (pulse pressure index (PPI), pulse depth index (PDI), optimal applied pressure (OAP), and pulse tension index (PTI)) were measured immediately before and 3 minutes after exercise. Pre–post responses across phenotypes were compared with linear mixed-effects (LME) models. Results. Four outcomes showed significant stage × group interactions. Incisura height (H4) decreased in both obesity groups (Gynoid, ; Android, ) but not in the controls (; ). The PDI increased exclusively in the gynoid group (). PTIs at lower pressure thresholds (PTI20 and PTI30) decreased in the android group compared with the control group ( and, respectively). Additional descriptive patterns not reaching interaction significance were consistent with phenotype-dependent responses but require confirmation. Conclusions. Both obesity groups exhibited exercise-induced H4 reductions that were absent in the controls, the android group showed divergent pulsatility responses (PTI20 and PTI30), and the gynoid group exhibited an uniquely increased PDI. These interaction-confirmed findings suggest that body fat distribution may shape peripheral hemodynamic responses to acute exercise, pending verification in larger studies with direct adipose quantification.

Source: Research Square

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9845354/v1

Authors: Boncho Ku, Jang-Han Bae, Sangkwan Lee, Young-Ju Jeon

Institutions: Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University Gwangju Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, National Research Council of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea