Coagulation and Fibrinolysis are in Balance After Moderate Exercise in Middle-aged Participants

Abstract

Increased age is associated with a higher risk of thrombotic events. The aim of this study was to investigate the age-related changes in hemostasis before and after moderate exercise controlled by individual anaerobic threshold as recommended for rehabilitation training. In this study, 24 young (25 + 1 years) and 24 middle-aged healthy nonsmokers (48 + 1 years) underwent an individualized exercise test with 80% of individual anaerobic threshold (young individuals: 127 + 6 W; middle-aged individuals: 128 + 5 W; values are expressed as mean + standard error of mean) for 60 minutes. The blood samples were collected before and after the exercise. The age-related higher (P ≤ .05) levels could be detected in factors II, VII, VIII, IX, XI, XII, prothrombin fragment 1+2, in tissue plasminogen activator antigen and activity, as well as in plasminogen. The relative exercise-induced increases in these parameters were similar in both groups, although beginning at a higher level for those in the middle-aged group. A statistically enhanced increase after exercise in the middle-aged group could be shown in prothrombin fragment 1+2 (young individuals: 98 + 6 to 102 + 6 pmol/L; middle-aged individuals: 138 + 7 to 156 + 8 pmol/L) and in thrombin—antithrombin complex (young individuals: 2.2 + 0.1 to 3.1 + 0.2 μg/L; middle-aged individuals: 2.4 + 0.3 to 3.9 + 0.6 μg/L); the latter only showing a tendency. The data show the age-related changes with a rise in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in a healthy middle-aged group compared with younger participants. Moderate exercise leads to comparably relative increases in hemostatic parameters but starting at higher levels. However, the exercise-induced thrombin generation (prothrombin fragment 1+2) is enhanced in the middle-aged participants in comparison with younger participants, but may be compensated by a sufficient fibrinolysis, and therefore the hemostatic system remains in balance.