Beneficial Effects of Moderate Exercise in Arterial Hypertension

摘要

Exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness have long been associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and overall longevity in apparently healthy individuals and also in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. It is part of the general recommendations for lifestyle modifications in patients with early forms of cardiovascular disease and has been associated with changes in multiple cardiac risk factors, such as lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, weight, inflammation, and psychosocial variables.Effects of exercise on blood pressure are mild to moderate, with an average reduction of -10 mmHg systolic and -8 mmHg diastolic. However, exercise as a specific therapeutic intervention is difficult to evaluate and dose.Controversy exists on the specific form of exercise, such as aerobic versus resistance training, as well as the intensity, duration, and training intervals of the specific form of exercise chosen as a lifestyle intervention regimen. Experimental evidence from animal models and clinical data in individuals with hypertension suggest that cardiac and vascular remodeling in hypertension are positively influenced by exercise but also showed detrimental results associated with excessive exercise in an animal model of hypertension.