Cardiovascular response during aquatic exercise in patients with osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the acute cardiovascular response to aquatic exercise in patients with osteoarthritis.


METHODS
Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured in 13 female patients with osteoarthritis (63.3 +/- 8.4 yrs) during aquatic walking for 40 mins. A double product (DP) value was calculated by multiplying systolic BP by HR to evaluate the workload of the heart.


RESULTS
BP and DP increased transiently with a decrease in HR after water immersion. Aquatic walking induced increases in BP, DP, and HR. Furthermore, BP and DP increased sharply with an increase in HR on leaving the water. The mean maximum increases in systolic BP and DP during each process were 23.5 +/- 18.2 mm Hg and 2931.1 +/- 2758.5 mm Hg/min when entering the water, 36.5 +/- 16.5 mm Hg and 4557.2 +/- 3435.1 mm Hg/min during aquatic walking, and 38.5 +/- 18.9 mm Hg and 5132.3 +/- 3228.8 mm Hg/min on leaving the water.


CONCLUSIONS
Water immersion, aquatic walking, and the process of leaving the water induced marked increases in BP in patients with osteoarthritis.
Asahina
Masato
M
Department of Neurology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba, Japan.
Asahina
Mayumi K
MK
Yamanaka
Yoshitaka
Y
Mitsui
Keiko
K
Kitahara
Aya
A
Murata
Atsushi
A
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000628:therapy*; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*