BACKGROUND: Debate concerning aerobic exercise decreasing arterial stiffness in pre- and hypertensive individuals still exists. We sought to systematically review and quantify the effect of aerobic exercise training on arterial stiffness in pre- and hypertensive subjects. METHODS: Medline, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science were searched up until August 2013 for trials assessing the effect of aerobic exercise interventions lasting 4 or more weeks on arterial stiffness in (pre)hypertensive subjects. Standardized mean difference (SMD) in arterial stiffness parameters (PWV, B-stiffness, compliance, AIx) was calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to study potential moderating factors. RESULTS: Fourteen trials comprising a total of 472 (pre)hypertensive subjects met the inclusion criteria. Arterial stiffness was not significantly reduced by aerobic training in (pre)hypertensive subjects (14 trials, SMD -0.19; p = 0.06). Likewise, post-intervention arterial stiffness was similar between the aerobic exercise-trained and control (pre)hypertensive subjects (8 trials, SMD -0.10; p = 0.43). Neither heterogeneity nor publication bias was detected in either of these analyses. In the subgroup analyses, arterial stiffness was significantly reduced in aerobic exercise-trained (pre)hypertensive subgroups below the median value in post minus pre-intervention systolic blood pressure (SBP) (SMD -0.38, p = 0.04) and in subgroups above the median value in the duration of the intervention (SMD -0.28, p = 0.03). Similar results were obtained in the meta-regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial stiffness is not reduced in (pre)hypertensive subjects in response to aerobic training unless associated with a substantial reduction in SBP and/or prolonged duration.

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