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| Published | Editor: Susan K. Boyer, RN © RAmEx Ars Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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 Aerobic Exercise Alone Lowers Blood Pressure Most Effectively
Aerobic exercise alone may be the most effective way to control blood pressure, said researchers at the Seventeenth Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension. "It appears that at least in younger people, anaerobic activity blunts the vascular benefits of aerobic exercise," commented Dr. Jing Fang, MD, of the Epidemiology and Social Medicine Department at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. "Participants engaging in aerobic exercise only had systolic blood pressure levels about three mm Hg lower than those who performed both aerobic and anaerobic exercises." Dr. Fang and colleagues analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), an evaluation of health and diet of approximately 40,000 Americans. NHANES III was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1988 and 1994. "Of all NHANES III participants, 12,402 had valid blood pressure and exercise information and were study subjects," said Dr. Fang. There were 10,499 qualifying subjects. They were grouped according to the type of exercise in which they engaged: aerobic only, including walking, jogging and cycling (22 percent); anaerobic only, including weight lifting and calisthenics (one percent); mixed aerobic and anaerobic (19 percent); gardening (35 percent); and no exercise at all (23 percent). Researchers found that those participating in only aerobic exercise had average blood pressure levels of 120/74 mm Hg, while subjects engaging in mixed aerobic and anaerobic exercise had average blood pressure levels of 123/75 mm Hg. Average blood pressure levels for the non-exercise group were 123/74 mm Hg. Although this did not hold true for young adults between the ages of 25-44, the same pattern was detected when subjects were stratified by gender and race. "This data will help providers more effectively recommend lifestyle modifications to their hypertensive patients," said Dr. Fang. "We hope it will ultimately translate into a reduction in cardiovascular mortality." |
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