Acute and chronic effects of aerobic exercise on blood pressure in prehypertensive subjects

Studies have shown that even before the development of hypertension, the progressive increase of the resting blood pressure values is directly correlated with a higher probability of emergence and development of cardiovascular events. Thus, in 2003, a new category called prehypertension was introduced to establish greater attention to this segment of the population associated with high cardiovascular risk. On the other hand, the exercise has been considered as positive strategy in the prevention of hypertension. The aim of this study was to review published studies that investigated, ten years after the establishment of prehypertension as cardiovascular risk category, the acute and chronic effects of aerobic exercise on blood pressure in prehypertensive subjects. After critical analysis of articles, we found that the acute and chronic aerobic exercise reduces resting blood pressure of prehypertensive subjects. However, further investigations about the factors that influence blood pressure reduction in this population are needed.

Aerobic exercise; Blood pressure; Prehypertension