title: PP041. The effect of exercise in pregnant women with chronic hypertension and/or previous preeclampsia on blood pressure and heart rate variability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are an important issue in global public health. Physical activity has been proposed as an important part of hypertension's treatment and has been studied as a possibility for the prevention of PE and its complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of exercise using stationary bicycle through blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measurements in pregnant women with CH, previous PE pregnancies or both factors associated.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized clinical trial (preliminary data) performed at the Women's Hospital Dr. José Aristodemo Pinotti - CAISM/Unicamp, Brazil, enrolled 52 pregnant women presenting with CH, previous PE experience or both. Women from 12 to 20 gestational weeks were selected from the prenatal outpatient clinic and randomly allocated to the study (SG) or non-interventional group (NIG). Women at the SG performed physical exercise using stationary bicycle (horizontal bench model) during 30min, once a week, under a physical therapist supervision. The HR was maintained at 20% above resting heart rate and up to 140 beats per minute. BP and HR measurements were evaluated before and after exercise in sitting position. The NIG followed a regular prenatal routine with weekly returns for HR and BP measurements. The BP (systolic and diastolic) and HR were analyzed comparing groups. The BP measurement was analyzed comparing before and after exercise in the SG. Significance was assumed as p<5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We had 6 drop-outs in the SG and 5 in the NIG. A total of 41 pregnant women were analyzed (16 in the SG and 25 in the NIG). The mean age was 32years and mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 34.2±7.0kg/m(2) in the SG and 34.5±8.4kg/m(2) in the NIG (p=0.91). Considering the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics the SG and NIG were similar and homogeneous. No statistical differences were observed between groups on systolic and diastolic BP and HR. However, BP at the end of the study in the interventional group was lower compared to pre-study BP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnant women with CH, previous PE or both factors associated who did exercise using stationary bicycle, under supervision, once a week, did not present HR and BP changes in these preliminary data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: C S G
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kasawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pinto E Silva