What types of hypertensives respond better to mild exercise therapy?
Twenty-one patients with essential hypertension were treated with aerobic (lactate threshold) exercise (n = 21) and the change in blood pressure was compared with that in a non-exercising hypertensive control group (n = 10). After 10 weeks of exercise therapy blood pressure in the exercise group was significantly reduced, from 154 +/- 3/100 +/- 2 to 141 +/- 3/93 +/- 3 mmHg, and there was a significant reduction in plasma volume, cardiac index and plasma noradrenaline whereas there were no changes in the non-exercise group. Responders (10 mmHg or more fall in mean blood pressure) in the exercise group had a significantly higher cardiac index, serum Na:K ratio and lower total peripheral resistance in pretraining studies than non-responders. In conclusion, exercise at lactate threshold is effective in lowering blood pressure in those mild hypertensives with higher cardiac index and serum Na:K ratio.
Kinoshita
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Urata
H
H
Tanabe
Y
Y
Ikeda
M
M
Tanaka
H
H
Shindo
M
M
Arakawa
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009318:Natriuresis; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood
D009638:Norepinephrine