Aortic aneurysm/dissection (AAD) is a catastrophic cardiovascular disease with extremely high mortality, and hypertension is the most common underlying disease. The main pathophysiological mechanisms of AAD include inflammatory aggregation, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, massive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), abnormal proliferation and migration
of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and increased apoptosis resulting in weak aortic structure and function. Exercise is essential for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, but the implementation of exercise prevention and treatment
research in patients with AAD is still limited due to concerns that the increase in blood pressure during exercise can lead to rupture
of the AAD. However, current studies have found that reasonable exercise not only does not increase the risk of AAD expansion and rupture, but also can delay the progression of AAD by regulating the underlying diseases of AAD and antagonizing pathophysiological damage. In this paper, combined with the research in recent years, the protective mechanism of exercise on AAD is reviewed, which provides a broader idea and basis for clinical in-depth exploration of the prevention and treatment of AAD.