Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic versus combined aerobic plus resistance exercise training on short-term blood pressure variability in patients with hypertension.

Short-term blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV), measured by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), has been independently related to a higher risk of cardiovascular events and target organ in hypertensive patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two different exercise modalities on BPV in hypertensive patients enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program. This study is a randomized trial, with two intervention arms: 1) aerobic training (AT) and 2) combined aerobic and resistance training (CT). We studied 55 male patients with hypertension. They were randomly assigned either to AT or CT group. The training program lasted 12 wk for each group. Short-term BP variability was evaluated by means of average real variability (ARV), at baseline and after 12 wk, by ABPM. Systolic and diastolic 24-h BP values decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in both groups, without between-groups differences (P = 0.11). The 24-h systolic BP variability decreased in both groups (AT: from 8.4 ± 1.2 to 7.6 ± 0.8; CT: from 8.8 ± 1.5 to 7.1 ± 1.1), with a greater decrease in CT (P = 0.02). Night-time systolic BPV decreased in CT (from 9.4 ± 1.3 to 8.3 ± 1.2, P = 0.03) and remained unchanged in AT (from 9.5 ± 1.2 to 9.4 ± 1.4). Day-time BPV decreased in both groups without between-groups differences (P = 0.07). CT was more effective than AT in reducing short-term BPV in hypertensive patients, and both exercise modalities reduced BP to a same extent. CT appears to be a more appropriate exercise modality if the objective is to reduce BPV in addition to BP levels.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Combined exercise training (CT) including aerobic plus resistance exercises could be more effective in comparison with aerobic exercise (AT) alone in reducing blood pressure variability (BPV) in hypertensive patients. We report that CT was indeed more effective than AT in reducing short-term BPV, and both exercise modalities reduced BP levels to the same extent. CT appears to be a more appropriate exercise modality if the objective is to reduce BPV in addition to BP levels.