Effects of Concurrent Aerobic Plus Resistance Training on Blood Pressure Variability and Blood Pressure Values in Patients with Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease: Gender-Related Differences.

The purpose of this study was to compare changes in blood pressure variability (BPV) and blood pressure (BP) values occurring in response to concurrent training (CT) between the two genders. A total of 35 males and 20 women aged 55-80 years, with hypertension and coronary artery disease, were included. They underwent a 12-week CT program. The aerobic component of CT was performed according to the rate of perceived exertion while the intensity of the resistance component was set at 60% of 1 repetition maximum for the first 4 weeks and then increased to 80%. BP and BPV were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the CT program through 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. After 12-weeks, 24 h and daytime systolic BPV decreased in both men and women without significant between-groups differences. Twenty-four-hour daytime and nighttime diastolic BPV decreased in both genders with a significantly greater decrease in women compared to men. Twenty-four-hour daytime systolic and 24 h diastolic BP decreased in men while they were unchanged in women. In conclusion, CT induced similar reductions of systolic BPV in men and women and a greater decrease in diastolic BPV in women. Conversely, CT decreased BP values in males but not in females. CT appears to be an effective intervention for reducing BPV in both genders.

Different exercise modalities exert opposite acute effects on short-term blood pressure variability in male patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the acute effects produced by a single bout of three different exercise modalities on short-term blood pressure variability. METHODS: The study enrolled 21 sedentary male patients with hypertension and a mean age of 63 ± 7.2 years. Blood pressure variability was evaluated through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring that was performed twice: during an ordinary daily activity and after an exercise session lasting 60 minutes. Patients were divided into three groups according to the different exercise modality performed during the session: aerobic continuous training, interval training or combined training including aerobic and resistance training. RESULTS: Twenty-four-hour systolic blood pressure variability increased in the interval training group, was unchanged in the aerobic continuous training group and decreased in the combined training group (intergroup P = 0.03). Daytime systolic blood pressure variability increased in the interval training and aerobic continuous training groups while it decreased in the combined training group (intergroup P = 0.0006). Twenty-four-hour diastolic blood pressure variability decreased in the aerobic continuous training and combined training groups while it increased in the interval training group (intergroup P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Different training modalities have similar hypotensive action but exert different acute effects on blood pressure variability. Combined training seems to be the most suitable training modality for sedentary men with hypertension.