Hypertension - kinds of exercise, possible dangers
Posted by dr@cardiotips.com
> I would like to know if there is a guideline as to what types of
> exercise are dangerous for individuals with hypertension, if any.
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In general, isometric straining (heavy weightlifting, opening stuck
windows) is far more likely than aerobic exercise to raise BP to very
high levels. In normal weightlifters, blood pressures of more than
400/300 mmHg have been recorded. For those interested, it has been shown
that performing a Valsalva maneuver immediately before straining can
reduce this elevation.
Of course, the mere fact that BP rises a lot on exercise is not
necessarily dangerous. You require individual advice about its likely
effect in your case. The meaning of a BP rise on exercise is quite
variable. For example, systolic BP (the upper reading, or peak of the
pressure wave) almost always goes up on treadmill exercise. In some
people, it goes up a lot. Often these are people with poorly-controlled
hypertension, and some of them do get symptoms (running out of breath,
premature fatigue) largely as a result of this pressure rise. However
it has not proved possible across the board to use such an exaggerated
pressure rise to predict who will get into trouble with hypertension in
years to come, and who will not. Some studies have actually shown
improved outcomes for people with higher pressures on exercise.
So the science is a bit of a mess here. If someone were really
concerned, it would be safest to have the BP actually measured during
the sort of exercise that was proposed, but this may not always be
practical. The pulse rate is no help at all as a predictor of BP rise.
The way you feel on exercise is nearly always a useful guide, however.
David Rollo
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