Improving Cardiovascular Health Through Physical Activity and Exercise

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Exercise for Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 573

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: sports cardiology; chronic cardiac diseases management with physical activity; cardiac rehabilitation; therapeutic exercise; chronic renal—cardiac disease and exercise; exercise-induced cardiac adaptation; preventive cardiology; clinical exercise physiology; new technologies in physical activity for cardiac health

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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: cardiovascular preparticipation screening; detection of health disorders during exercise training; prevention of sudden cardiac death in sports; cardiovascular and respiratory responses and adaptations of exercise training; side effects of doping; exercise rehabilitation for patients with chronic diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted role of physical activity and structured exercise in the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases. Emphasizing both clinical and mechanistic perspectives, this issue invites contributions that address how various forms of exercise influence cardiovascular risk factors, vascular biology, autonomic regulation, and long-term outcomes across diverse populations.

Topics of interest include—but are not limited to—the effects of exercise on endothelial function, lipid metabolism, blood pressure regulation, inflammatory pathways, cardiac remodeling, and angiogenesis. Moreover, potential topics include the applications of recent technological innovations, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in the field of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation. This issue also welcomes original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and expert commentaries examining exercise prescription in different clinical contexts (e.g., heart failure, coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes) and among special populations such as the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, or those undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.

By integrating translational, clinical, and epidemiological research, this issue seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how physical activity contributes to cardiovascular health and longevity, supporting evidence-based strategies for public health and individualized patient care.

Prof. Dr. Asterios Deligiannis
Prof. Dr. Evangelia Kouidi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cardiovascular health
  • cardiovascular exercise physiology
  • cardiac rehabilitation
  • cardiac exercise prescription
  • cardiovascular prevention
  • chronic heart failure and exercise
  • artificial intelligence in sports cardiology
  • wearable technology and cardiovascular health outcomes
  • digital cardiac health interventions
  • AI-guided cardiac rehabilitation programs

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1353 KB  
Article
Advanced Stress Echocardiography with Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing After Myocardial Infarction
by Nektarios Lampros Afthonidis, Vasiliki Michou, Maria Anyfanti, Anastasios Dalkiranis, George Panayiotou, Nikolaos Koutlianos, Evangelia Kouidi and Asterios Deligiannis
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(4), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040393 - 9 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background: A thorough post-myocardial infarction (MI) evaluation is essential for prognosis and rehabilitation. While cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the standard for assessing functional capacity, combining it with dynamic stress echocardiography (DSE) may offer a more comprehensive assessment. Aim: This study examined the [...] Read more.
Background: A thorough post-myocardial infarction (MI) evaluation is essential for prognosis and rehabilitation. While cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the standard for assessing functional capacity, combining it with dynamic stress echocardiography (DSE) may offer a more comprehensive assessment. Aim: This study examined the role of stress echocardiography (SE) in male post-MI patients by evaluating left ventricular function with conventional indices and the change in global longitudinal strain (ΔGLS) at rest and during maximal treadmill CPET. A secondary aim was to determine whether ΔGLS could provide additional value to traditional measures in post-MI care. Methods: Eighteen men with a recent MI [15 ST-elevation MI, three non-ST-elevation MI; mean age 53.2 ± 5.9 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 27.9 ± 2.2, 44.4% with a smoking history) and 18 age-matched male controls (mean age 50.1 ± 10.8 years, mean BMI 26.5 ± 2.4, 39.0% with smoking history) were enrolled. All MI patients were under optimal medical therapy, including β-blockers, which were withheld on the test day. Most underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) n = 2, or PCI for non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI) n = 3. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were measured at rest and at peak effort and correlated with CPET parameters. Results: Post-MI patients had lower LVEF (50.6% vs. 60.7% at rest; 55.3% vs. 67.4% at peak, both p < 0.001), impaired GLS (–14.7% vs. –20.2% at rest, p = 0.003; –15.8% vs. –22.7% at peak, p = 0.001), and reduced VO2peak (29.2 vs. 41.9 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001) compared with controls. In the MI group, ΔGLS correlated with VO2peak (r = –0.645, p = 0.003) and VE/VCO2 (r = 0.539, p = 0.020), indicating its potential as a marker of functional reserve. Conclusions: Combined CPET and SE offered comprehensive insights into functional and myocardial performance, identifying ΔGLS as a useful non-invasive index for risk stratification and rehabilitation after MI, with high feasibility and safety. Full article
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