June 1, 1984Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
The effect of exercise training on human hypertension
Why the study?
Does exercise training reduce blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive individuals?
Population
normotensive and hypertensive individuals
Comparison
exercise training vs non-exercising control groups
Design
Review
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Evidence inadequate to recommend exercise for hypertension; challenges consensus and leaves efficacy open pending rigorous trials.
Key Points
- The aim is to evaluate the existing literature on exercise training and its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
- Review of studies regarding exercise training and hypertension.
- Focus on blood pressure changes at rest and during submaximal exercise.
- Analysis of methodological issues and study designs.
- Most studies reported modest blood pressure reductions of less than or equal to 10 mmHg.
- Methodological limitations included a lack of non-exercising control groups.
- Current evidence is insufficient to firmly recommend exercise training as a non-pharmacological therapy for hypertension.
Structured PICO
Does exercise training reduce blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive individuals?
P
Population
normotensive and hypertensive individuals
I
Intervention
exercise training
C
Comparator
non-exercising control groups
O
Outcome
blood pressure at rest and during submaximal exercisesurrogate
Despite modest reported reductions in blood pressure, existing evidence is inadequate to recommend exercise training as a non-pharmacological therapy for hypertension due to severe methodological shortcomings in the literature.
Limitations
- numerous methodological shortcomings
- inadequate study design
- omission of non-exercising hypertensive control groups
Cite This Study
Seals et al. (1984) studied this question.