Hypertension in aging: physical activity as primary prevention

In most physiologic systems, there is considerable evidence that the normal aging processes do not result in significant impairment or dysfunction in the absence of pathology and under resting conditions. However, in response to a stress, the age-related reduction in physiologic reserves causes a loss of regulatory or homeostatic balance. This happens before an individual notices that something is wrong. An additional consequence of age-related changes is an increased perception of effort associated with submaximal work. Thus, a vicious cycle is set up, leading to decreasing exercise capacity, resulting in an elevated perception of effort, subsequently causing avoidance of activity, and finally feeding back to exacerbation of the age-related declines secondary to disuse. Sedentary behavior is an important risk factor for chronic disease morbidity and mortality in aging. However, there is a limited amount of information on the type and amount of activity needed to promote optimal health and function in older people [19]. The purpose of this review is to discuss the important role of exercise training as a primary prevention tool to hypertension. In addition, this review will address the topic of the recommended amount of physical activity required for health promotion along with the current exercise guidelines.