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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Cardiol. Sep 26, 2021; 13(9): 399-415
Published online Sep 26, 2021. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v13.i9.399
Exercise-mediated adaptations in vascular function and structure: Beneficial effects in coronary artery disease
Xenofon M Sakellariou, Michail I Papafaklis, Eleni M Domouzoglou, Christos S Katsouras, Lampros K Michalis, Katerina K Naka
Xenofon M Sakellariou, Michail I Papafaklis, Eleni M Domouzoglou, Christos S Katsouras, Lampros K Michalis, Katerina K Naka, Michailideion Cardiac Centre, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45100, Epirus, Greece
Michail I Papafaklis, Christos S Katsouras, Lampros K Michalis, Katerina K Naka, 2nd Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina 45100, Epirus, Greece
Eleni M Domouzoglou, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina 45100, Epirus, Greece
Author contributions: Sakellariou X and Papafaklis M contributed to the conception and design of the research; Sakellariou X and Domouzoglou E drafted the manuscript; Papafaklis M, Katsouras C, Michalis L, and Naka K critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content; all authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interests for this article
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Michail I Papafaklis, MD, PhD, FESC, Attending Doctor, Consultant Physician-Scientist, Michailideion Cardiac Centre, University of Ioannina, Stavrou Niarchou Avenue, Ioannina 45100, Epirus, Greece. m.papafaklis@yahoo.com
Received: March 25, 2021
Peer-review started: March 25, 2021
First decision: May 13, 2021
Revised: May 30, 2021
Accepted: July 21, 2021
Article in press: July 21, 2021
Published online: September 26, 2021
Processing time: 176 Days and 10.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Exercise has beneficial effects on the function and structure of the vasculature, thereby leading to a reduction of the cardiovascular risk. Hemodynamic forces, in particular endothelial shear stress, play a critical role in modulating the endothelial cell phenotype towards atherogenesis or atheroprotection. Exercise improves clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We herein discuss the alterations induced by exercise on vascular function and structure, and the mechanisms involved in the benefits of exercise regarding patients with CAD.