Key result
Master athlete status is linked to ~9 percentage points lower prevalence of hypertension vs controls.
Why the study?
Ageing is associated with reduced physical activity and increased hypertension risk, prompting an evaluation of resting blood pressure in master athletes.
Does long-term physical activity as a master athlete reduce resting blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension compared to the general population?
Cross-Sectional (n=2,793)
Does long-term physical activity as a master athlete reduce resting blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension compared to the general population?
Master athletes show a markedly lower prevalence of hypertension than the general population, reinforcing the robust cardiovascular benefits of sustained physical activity into older age.
Ageing is associated with decreased physical activity, obesity and increased risk of hypertension (HTN). Master athletes (MA) have either pursued a physically active lifestyle throughout their life or initiated exercise or sport later in life. We assessed resting blood pressure (BP) in male and female World Masters Games (WMG) athletes. This was a cross-sectional, observational study which utilized an online survey to assess the blood pressure (BP) and other physiological parameters. Results: a total of 2793 participants were involved in this study. Key findings included differences between genders with males reporting higher resting SBP (+9.4%, p < 0.001), resting DBP (+5.9%, p < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (+6.2%, p < 0.001). Significant differences (p < 0.001) were also identified when comparing WMG athletes’ resting BP results (genders combined) to the general Australian population with WMG athletes having a lower SBP (p < 0.001, −8.4%) and DBP (p < 0.001, −3.6%). Additionally, 19.9% of males and 49.7% of female WMG participants were normotensive whereas 35.7% of the general Australian population were normotensive. Only 8.1% of the WMG athletes (genders combined) were found to be HTN compared to 17.2% in the general Australian population. These findings reflect a low prevalence of HTN in WMG participants and support our hypothesis of a low prevalence of HTN in an active, but aged cohort of MA.
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Climstein et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=2,793). Master athlete status (regular physical activity and sports participation) vs. General Australian population and NHANES dataset was evaluated on Prevalence of hypertension. Master athletes exhibited a significantly lower prevalence of hypertension (8.1% vs 17.2%) and lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the general population.
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