Physical Exercises Influence on Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness
Condition: Arterial Hypertension
MeSH terms: Hypertension
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 4

Summary: 
      Regular exercise is recommended as an adjuvant treatment in hypertensive subjects by both
      European and American guidelines. Crucially, however, there are no precise recommendations on
      the type of physical exercise and how it should be instituted A relatively short period (5
      months) of regular aerobic interval training (AIT), significantly decreased blood pressure,
      pulse wave velocity, and most applanation tonometry indexes in hypertensive subjects also
      undertaking pharmacological treatment in our study.
    

Detailed description: 
      Regular physical exercise appears to potentiate the effects of pharmacological treatment for
      arterial hypertension. As such, regular exercise is recommended as an adjuvant treatment in
      hypertensive subjects by both European and American guidelines. Crucially, however, there are
      no precise recommendations on the type of physical exercise and how it should be instituted.
      Aerobic Interval Training (AIT) is a new and novel type training that appears to be
      beneficial to patients suffering from various medical conditions. There is a distinct lack of
      evidence on how it affects arterial hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
      influence of a 5 month period of regular AIT on blood pressure, carotid femoral pulse wave
      velocity (PWV) and applanation tonometry indexes in patients previously treated
      pharmacologically for mild or moderate arterial hypertension.

      The study group consisted of 60 hypertensive subjects (30 males, 30 females) (age 54.45 ±
      8.52 years) who had previously undergone at least 2 years of combined anti-hypertensive
      therapy and who had well controlled hypertension, i.e. below 140/90 mmHg. Their
      pharmacological treatment did not change during the study period. The study group was
      randomly divided into 2 subgroups. In the first group (G1), AIT was undertaken for 5 months
      (40 professional AIT sessions performed two times per week in 50 minute sessions) and
      followed a specially developed program. The second control group (G2), did not attend any
      training sessions but received medical advice on how to maintain physical activity as
      outlined by JNC (Joint National Committee) hypertension guidelines. During the baseline visit
      and then at five months (final visit), both groups underwent testing for office BP (blood
      pressure), PWV and applanation tonometry indexes using the SphygmoCor® device and the
      Complior® device.
    

Intervention name(s): aerobic interval training
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): In the first group (G1), aerobic interval training (AIT) was undertaken for 5 months (40 professional AIT sessions performed two times per week in 50 minute sessions) and followed a specially developed program. The second control group (G2), did not attend any training sessions but received medical advice on how to maintain physical activity as outlined by JNC hypertension guidelines
Other intervention name(s): AIT
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention