Effects of exercise, diet and their combination on blood pressure

Abstract

Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse relationship between physical activity or fitness and blood pressure. In a meta-analysis of 44 randomized controlled intervention trials, the weighted net change in conventional systolic/diastolic blood pressure in response to dynamic aerobic training averaged -3.4/-2.4 mmHg (P < 0.001). The effect on blood pressure was more pronounced in hypertensives than in normotensives. This type of training also lowered the blood pressure measured during ambulatory monitoring and during exercise. However, exercise appears to be less effective than diet in lowering blood pressure (P < 0.02), and adding exercise to diet does not seem to further reduce blood pressure.