Blood pressure response to exercise in young subjects with and without parental history of hypertension.
We examined 150 young male adults in the Italian Air Force to evaluate the correlation between blood pressure (BP) response to bicycle exercise and early structural changes of the left ventricle and the carotid arteries. The subjects were divided into three subgroups: (1) borderline hypertensives; (2) normotensives having one or both parents with hypertension; (3) normotensives without family history of hypertension. All subjects underwent a submaximal exercise test, echocardiography and carotid ultrasonographic study. The echocardiographic examination showed no significant difference between the three subgroups, while the vascular ultrasonographic examination showed a significant difference in carotid thickness between borderline hypertensives and the two other groups. The exercise test induced an abnormal hypertensive response only in the borderline group. We also considered the variation of systolic BP between maximum stress and the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th minute of recovery phase. From our data it seems that more than the exercise test, recovery BP values may be suggestive of an exaggerated cardiovascular response.
Biagini
M
M
Infermeria Presidiaria AM 2 RA, 2 Università Degli Studi Roma, Italy.
Brassetti
B
B
Pierangeli
L
L
Roscio
G
G
Arrabito
B
B
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values