[The influence of programmed physical activity on blood pressure of hypertensive elderly patients on non-pharmacological treatment].
OBJECTIVE
Assess the influence of physical activity on the blood pressure of hypertensive elderly patients on non-pharmacological treatment (NPT).


METHODS
The authors studied men and women, over 60 years, with stage I hypertension who were not using antihypertensive medication. These patients had been randomly allocated to one of two groups: Control Group (CG) - oriented to NPT; and Study Group (SG) - NPT and a program that included supervised physical activity consisting of 1-hour sessions, 3 times a week. Duration of the study was 6 months. Screening and follow-up tests every 3 months, at Visits 1, 2 and 3 included a clinical evaluation, ECG, a treadmill stress test, Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement (ABPM) and an Echocardiogram. The authors used the Friedman test for the evolutionary analysis of the intra-groups means and Student's t test to compare independent data between groups.


RESULTS
Twenty-four patients were randomized in the SG (5 men) and 21 in the CG (4 men). The 6-month follow-up period was completed by 22 patients in the SG and 13 in the CG. Blood pressures found by the ABPM in V1, V2 and V3 were 134.2 +/-14.5, 136.1 +/-9 and 143.7+/-13.9 mmHg for Systolic Blood Pressure in the CG; and 135.6 +/-11.4, 138.7 +/-12.2 and 133.9 +/-8.5 mmHg in the SG. For Diastolic Blood Pressure, values in the CG were 78.7+/-5.8, 82.3+/-6.2 and 83.3 +/-9.2 mmHg; and in the SG, 80.1 +/-6.8, 81+/-6.6 and 80.8 +/-7.3 mmHg.


CONCLUSIONS
Programmed and supervised physical activity was more efficient for maintaining adequate blood pressure control in these elderly with stage I hypertension in the study group, when compared to the control group.
Barroso
Weimar Kunz Sebba
WK
Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO.
Jardim
Paulo César Brandão Veiga
PC
Vitorino
Priscila Valverde
PV
Bittencourt
Amanda
A
Miquetichuc
Flávia
F
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*