The aim was to identify whether 16 weeks of combined training (Training) reduces blood pressure of hypertensive older adults and what the key fitness, hemodynamic, autonomic, inflammatory, oxidative, glucose and/or lipid mediators of this intervention would be. Fifty-two individuals were randomized to either 16 weeks of Training or control group who remained physically inactive (Control). Training included walking/running at 63% of V˙O2max, three times per week, and strength training, consisting of one set of fifteen repetitions (seven exercises) at moderate intensity, twice per week. Both groups underwent a comprehensive health assessment at baseline (W0) and every four weeks, for 16 weeks total. p-value ≤ 0.05 was set as significant. Training did not reduce blood pressure. It increased V˙O2max after eight weeks and again after 16 weeks (~18%), differently from the Control group. At 16 weeks, Training increased strength (~8%), slightly reduced body mass (~1%), and reduced the number of individuals with metabolic syndrome (~7%). No other changes were observed (heart rate, carotid compliance, body composition, glycemic and lipid profile, inflammatory markers and oxidative profile, vasoactive substances, heart rate variability indices). Although Training increased cardiorespiratory fitness and strength, Training was able to reduce neither blood pressure nor a wide range of mediators in hypertensive older adults, suggesting other exercise interventions might be necessary to improve overall health in this population. The novelty of this study was the time-course characterization of Training effects, surprisingly demonstrating stability among a comprehensive number of health outcomes in hypertensive older adults, including blood pressure.
Keywords: aging; blood pressure; cardiorespiratory fitness; exercise; hypertension; resistance training.