title: Effect of an aerobic exercise program on blood pressure and catecholamines in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.
abstract: Interrelations between physical exercise, monoamines and hypertension are postulated by various investigators. The purpose of the present study was to determine and compare catecholamine levels at rest and after a 12-week aerobic exercise program in 11 sedentary normotensive (N) and 8 hypertensive (H) men. Plasma catecholamines were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. A significant post-exercise increase in plasma noradrenaline was observed in the N and H groups (P < 0.01) both before and after the aerobic exercise program. The hypertensive group showed a significant reduction of the sum of 7 skinfold thickness scores after the aerobic exercise program (from 178.7 +/- 65.6 to 144.0 +/- 47.4 mm) although no significant difference was observed when the body mass index was compared. A significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure at rest was observed in the H group after the aerobic exercise program (from 99.2 +/- 2.0 to 85.0 +/- 5.5). There were no significant differences in catecholamine concentrations between groups before and after the 12-week aerobic exercise program at rest and post-exercise. These data show a relationship between physical exercise and hypertension that was not related to changes in plasma catecholamine levels.
authors.affiliation: Neurologia Experimental, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Säo Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arida
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Naffah-Mazzacoratti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D002845:Chromatography; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines