title: Effects of an exercise program on blood pressure in patients with treated hypertension and chronic Chagas' heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies describe an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system in Chagas' disease causing increased sympathetic activity, which could influence the genesis of hypertension. However, patients undergoing regular physical exercise could counteract this condition, considering that exercise causes physiological responses through autonomic and hemodynamic changes that positively affect the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an exercise program on blood pressure in hypertensive patients with chronic Chagas' heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 17 patients to a 24-week regular exercise program and used ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before and after training. We determined the differences in the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean blood pressure (MBP) from the beginning to the end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood pressures were evaluated in general and during periods of wakefulness and sleep, respectively: SBP (p = 0.34; 0.23; 0.85), DBP (p = 0.46; 0.44; 0.94) and MBP (p = 0.41; 0.30; 0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no statistically significant change in blood pressure after the 24-week exercise program; however, we concluded that physical training is safe for patients with chronic Chagas' disease, with no incidence of increase in blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Fisioterapia, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. claudiarosaft@bol.com.br
authors.forename: Claudia Rosa de
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Andréa Silvestre de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Bráulio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Paloma Hargreaves
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Fialho
authors.forename: Carla Cristiane Soares Dos
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Juliana Rega de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Marcus Vinícius
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome