BACKGROUND: The impact of exercise on cognition in older adults with hypertension and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is unclear. OBJECTIVE(S): We determined the influence of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with mind-motor training on cognition and systolic blood pressure (BP) in older adults with hypertension and SCD. METHOD(S): We randomized 128 community-dwelling older adults (age mean (SD) 71.1 (6.7), 47.7% females) with history of hypertension and SCD to either HIIT or a moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT) group. Both groups received 15 min of mind-motor training followed by 45 min of either HIIT or MCT. Participants exercised in total 60 min/day, 3 days/week for 6 months. We assessed changes in global cognitive functioning (GCF), Trail-Making Test (TMT), systolic and diastolic BP, and cardiorespiratory fitness. RESULT(S): Participants in both groups improved diastolic BP (F[1,87.32] = 4.392, p = 0.039), with greatest effect within the HIIT group (estimated mean change (95% CI) -2.64 mmHg (-4.79 to -0.48), p = 0.017), but no between-group differences were noted (p = 0.17). Both groups also improved cardiorespiratory fitness (F[1,69] = 34.795, p < 0.001), and TMT A (F[1,81.51] = 26.871, p < 0.001) and B (F[1,79.49] = 23.107, p < 0.001). There were, however, no within- or between-group differences in GCF and systolic BP at follow-up. CONCLUSION(S): Despite improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise of high- or moderate-intensity, combined with mind-motor training, did not improve GCF or systolic BP in individuals with hypertension and SCD. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03545958).

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• PubMed Central
• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher