title: The Importance of Walking for Control of Blood Pressure: Proof Using a Telemedicine System.
abstract: Regular physical activity (PA), including daily walking, reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, especially hypertension. Pedometer is a potential motivational aid for increasing PA. In the present study, we used a telemedicine system and analyzed the relationship between daily walking, calculated by pedometers, and blood pressure (BP).
  
  
  
  BP was measured at home twice a day (morning and evening) using an oscillometric automatic device. Body weight (BW) and percent body fat (%BF) were measured after BP measurement. Daily walking steps (DWS) were calculated by a pedometer. These daily parameters were transmitted through the Internet to a central server computer and sent to the Medical Health Center.
  
  
  
  Sixty-nine (N = 69) hypertensive patients were included in this study. The mean follow-up period was 378 days. Electronic data from a pedometer (DWS) were associated with reduced BW, body mass index, and %BF. Hypertensive patients were divided into two groups based on the DWS. In the high DWS group, morning systolic BP and diastolic BP and evening systolic BP were reduced after induction of the telemedicine system.
  
  
  
  A telemedicine system confirmed the usefulness of walking to control BP in hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okura
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Community Emergency Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Daijiro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kukida
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanino
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Zouwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Jitsuo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Higaki
authors.affiliation: 3 Yawatahama City General Hospital , Ehime, Japan .
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uemura
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: cardiology/cardiovascular disease; e-health; home health monitoring; telemedicine