title: The effects of a 10-week water aerobic exercise on the resting blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of a 10-week water aerobic exercise on the resting blood pressure in patients with stage 1 or 2 hypertension referring to Tehran University Clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty men with stage 1 or 2 essential hypertension were assigned to two groups of intervention [n = 12; aged 48.33±10.74 years (mean±SD)] and control [n = 28; aged 46.96±11.58 years (mean±SD)]. Subjects in the intervention group participated in a supervised 10-week water aerobic training program of 55 min sessions, 3 days per week on alternate days, while those in the control group were not involved in any regular training program during this period. Blood pressure of the participants was recorded and compared at the beginning and at the end of the study (48 hours after the last training session).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exercise lowered systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure by 11.71 (95% confidence interval: 5.07 to 18.35) and 5.90 (95% confidence interval: 1.17 to 10.63) mm Hg respectively. The lowering effect of exercise on diastolic blood pressure was neither statistically significant nor clinically important (0.55 mm Hg; P. value = 0.8). There was no significant effect of age, baseline body mass index and stage of hypertension on the exercise-induced changes in blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 10-week course of water aerobic exercise markedly reduced the systolic and mean arterial blood pressure of patients with essential hypertension and is especially recommended for the obese and the elderly who have orthopedic problems or bronchospasm.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Vasheghani
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Farahani
authors.forename: Mohammad-Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mansournia
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asheri
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotouhi
authors.forename: Masud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunesian
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ziaee