Blood pressure response to moderate physical activity is increased in obesity

Neth J Med. 2009 Sep;67(8):342-6.

Abstract

Objective: To test the hypothesis that in young, normotensive obese subjects, physical activity at a fixed, moderate workload, causes a more pronounced hypertensive effect than in lean subjects.

Patients and methods: 24 subjects (12 with BMI >30 kg/m(2), 12 with BMI <25 kg/m(2)), underwent a moderate-intensity physical activity protocol (cycling at 100 W). Blood pressure and oxygen consumption were monitored continuously.

Results: In the obese subjects, physical activity caused a more pronounced increase in both systolic blood pressure (increase of 40.4 +/- 15.3 mmHg vs 21.2 +/- 10.2 mmHg in lean subjects; p=0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (17.5 +/- 17.9 mmHg vs 3.2 +/- 8.1 mmHg in lean subjects; p=0.02). In regression analyses, these differences were only partly explained by small differences in resting blood pressure.

Conclusion: Healthy obese subjects show an enhanced prohypertensive response of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure to moderate-intensity physical activity.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Pressure*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Exercise / physiology*
  • Exercise Therapy
  • Female
  • Hemodynamics
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / etiology*
  • Hypertension / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Motor Activity / physiology*
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Obesity / complications*
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Oxygen Consumption
  • Regression Analysis
  • Surveys and Questionnaires