The Effects of Exercise and Heat Therapy on the Ambulatory Blood Pressure of Adults With Untreated Hypertension
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Date
2024
Authors
Serrano, Madison
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death both within the United States as well as worldwide. Hypertension (HTN), or high blood pressure, is a primary yet modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Exercise (EX) is considered the gold-standard lifestyle intervention for improving blood pressure, but many people are unable or unwilling to engage in traditional exercise training. Heat therapy (HT) represents a potential alternative to exercise for its ability to improve blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. PURPOSE: This study was completed to compare the efficacy of heat water immersion (HWI) to the gold-standard EX in improving high blood pressure in adults with untreated hypertension. METHODS: Forty-one adults with HTN were block randomized between two intervention groups; HWI and EX. Subjects completed 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before intervention, after 15 sessions, and at the conclusion of 30 sessions of their given intervention. Statistical analysis included a series of two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with main effects of group and time (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: Total 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was not significantly different between or within groups over time (p>0.05) Despite no significant main or interaction effects, these interventions appear to have disparate effects on nighttime blood pressure. SBP was reduced to a lesser extent from waking to sleeping following EX in post measurements in comparison to mid-point measurements (p<0.05). The mid-point awake SBP of dippers in the EX intervention were higher than the mid-point measurements of the HWI group. Asleep SBP of non-dippers were significantly higher in post measurements in comparison to pre-measurements (p<0.01). Similarly, Asleep DBP of non-dippers were significantly higher in post measurements in comparison to pre-measurements (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Neither EX nor HWI proved to be statistically significant interventions for lowering blood pressure in adults with untreated hypertension.
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Keywords
Human Physiology, Hypertension, Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Hot water immersion, Heat therapy