Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week concurrent training (CT) (i.e., aerobic plus resistance exercise) on short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) and BP values in hypertensive patients with non-dippper BP nocturnal pattern and underlying coronary artery disease. Material and Methods: The study included 72 consecutive patients who were divided into two groups according to the nocturnal BP pattern: dipping pattern (33 pts) and non-dipping (39 pts). Before starting CT and at 12 weeks, patients underwent the six minute walk test, ergometric test, assessment of 1-repetiton maximum (1 RM), and 24/h BP monitoring (24-h ABPM). Results: After CT, exercise capacity increased in both groups in a similar fashion. Twenty-four/h systolic BPV and daytime systolic BPV decreased significantly in the dipping group while they were unchanged in the non-dipping group (between groups changes: -1.0 ± 0.4 mmHg and -1.3 ± 0.9 mmHg; p = 0.02 and p = 0.006, respectively). Twenty-four/h systolic BP and daytime systolic BP decreased significantly in the dipping group while they were unchanged in the non-dipping group (between groups changes: -7.1 ± 2.6 mmHg and -7.8 ± 2.4 mmHg; p = 0.004 and p = 0.002, respectively). Nighttime systolic BP and BPV was unchanged in both groups. Twenty-four/h diastolic BP presented small but not significant changes in both groups. Conclusions: The effects of CT on BPV and BP were blunted in hypertensive subjects with a non-dipping BP pattern.
Keywords: blood pressure variability; concurrent exercise; hypertension; non-dipping blood pressure pattern.