Twelve weeks of aerobic exercise improved cardiovascular and respiratory fitness in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but without positive changes in arterial stiffness that was this small study’s main goal.

Results also found no increase in signs of inflammation or oxidative stress in the exercise group compared to a control group urged to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

The study, “Effects of 12-week Aerobic Exercise on Arterial Stiffness, Inflammation, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Women with Systemic LUPUS Erythematosus: Non-Randomized Controlled Trial,” appeared in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

The incidence of heart disease in SLE patients is significantly higher than in healthy people, possibly because of risk factors associated with autoimmunity, such as systemic inflammation and oxidative stress (an excess of damaging free radicals in cells).

For full study please click here.