Moderate-intensity exergame intervention did not significantly reduce blood pressure (P>0.05) but improved working memory compared to control (-461.9 ms, P=0.025) in older adults with hypertension.
RCT (n=128)
randomly assigned
Does moderate-intensity exergame or bicycle exercise intervention improve blood pressure and executive function in older adults with hypertension?
Moderate-intensity exergame and bicycle exercise interventions for 16 weeks improved working memory but did not significantly reduce blood pressure in older adults with hypertension.
Mean Difference: -461.9
p-value: p=0.025
Management of hypertension and prevention of cognitive decline are challenging public health problems. However, the effects of exergame intervention on blood pressure (BP) remain to be explored, and whether exergame intervention is an effective alternative to traditional physical exercise intervention for older adults with hypertension remains to be demonstrated. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of moderate-intensity exergame intervention and bicycle exercise training on BP and executive function in older hypertensive patients. A total of 128 participants were randomly assigned to the exergame intervention group (n = 41), bicycle exercise intervention group (n = 44), and control group (n = 43). The intervention groups exercised for 60 min, 3 times per week, for 16 weeks, while the control group maintained their normal lifestyle. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between two intervention groups and control group in systolic BP and diastolic BP changes (ps > 0.05). Both intervention groups demonstrated significant improvements in working memory when compared with control group (exergame intervention group: -461.9 ms, p = 0.025; bicycle exercise intervention group: -470.1 ms, p = 0.021). There were no significant differences in systolic BP, diastolic BP, or working memory between the two intervention groups after 16 weeks of training (ps > 0.05). No difference in inhibition or cognitive flexibility was observed between the intervention and control groups (ps > 0.05). The current results showed that moderate-intensity exergame intervention did not produce significant benefits in reducing BP, but yielded similar beneficial effects in working memory to that of bicycle exercise intervention. More studies are needed on whether exergame intervention has the potential to be a promising supplemental therapeutic tool for older adults with hypertension.
Hou et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in hypertension (n=128). Moderate-intensity exergame intervention vs. Bicycle exercise training and normal lifestyle (control) was evaluated on Working memory (MD -461.9 ms, p=0.025). Moderate-intensity exergame intervention did not significantly reduce blood pressure (P>0.05) but improved working memory compared to control (-461.9 ms, P=0.025) in older adults with hypertension.