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Moderate- and high-intensity exercise lowers blood pressure in normotensive subjects 60 to 79 years of age
Braith RW, Pollock ML, Lowenthal DT, Graves JE, Limacher MC
The American Journal of Cardiology 1994 Jun 1;73(15):1124-1128
clinical trial
4/10 [Eligibility criteria: No; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: No; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: No; Adequate follow-up: No; Intention-to-treat analysis: No; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

To investigate the effects of exercise intensity on resting blood pressure (BP) in normotensive elderly subjects, 44 sedentary healthy subjects aged 60 to 79 years of age were studied during 6 months of walking exercise. Subjects were ranked according to maximal oxygen consumption and randomly stratified to groups that trained at 70% (n = 19) or 80% to 85% (n = 14) of maximal heart rate reserve, or to a control group (n = 11) that did not train. Initial BP was established during a 2- to 3-week control period. During the first 3 months, both exercise groups progressed to 70% of heart rate reserve for 40 minutes 3 times each week. The moderate-intensity group continued to train at 70% (45-minute duration) for an additional 3 months, whereas the high-intensity group progressed to training at 85% of heart rate reserve (35-minute duration). Maximal oxygen consumption increased (p <= 0.05) during the initial 3 months in both exercise groups (25.2 to 28.1 ml/kg/min and 26.3 to 29.3 ml/kg/min) and continued to increase (p <= 0.05) after 3 additional months of training, but the increase was greater (p <= 0.05) in the high-intensity group (28.1 to 29.4 ml/kg/min and 29.3 to 32.8 ml/kg/min). Systolic BP decreased (p <= 0.05) similarly at 6 months in both training groups (120 to 111 mmHg and 120 to 112 mmHg). Diastolic BP also decreased (p <= 0.05) similarly at 6 months in both training groups (72 to 64 mmHg and 75 to 68 mmHg). Resting heart rate decreased (p <= 0.05) to the same magnitude at 6 months in both training groups (71 to 66 peats/min and 69 to 63 beats/min). Body weight did not change in anygroup (p >= 0.05). The sum of 7 skinfold fat measures decreased (p <= 0.05) similarly at 6 months in both training graoups (175 to 164 mm and 173 to 159 mm). Out data indeicate that walking exercise between 70% and 85% of heart rate reserve lowers resting BP in normotensive elderly subjects, and produces a moderately favorable conditioning benefit similar to that observed in yournger persons.
With permission from Excerpta Medica Inc.

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