Daily Exercise Attenuates the Development of Arterial Blood Pressure Related Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hypertensive Rats

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that daily spontaneous running (DSR) attenuates the development of blood pressure-related cardiovascular disease risk factors (BP-related CVD risk factors) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). After 8 weeks of DSR or sedentary control, rats were chronically instrumented with arterial catheters. Daily exercise attenuated the development of all measures of BP-related CVD risk factors. Specifically DSR attenuated the increase in systolic blood pressure (delta--22 mmHg), systolic blood pressure variability (delta--2.5 mmHg), and systolic blood pressure load (delta--27%). Similarly, DSR attenuated the increase in diastolic blood pressure (delta--15 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure variability (delta--1.19 mmHg), and diastolic blood pressure load (delta--17%). Finally, DSR attenuated the development of tachycardia (delta--63 bpm). These data demonstrate that daily exercise attenuates the development of hypertension and tachycardia in animals predisposed to hypertension.