[Cardiovascular response to dynamic physical exercise in adolescents with casual raised values of arterial blood pressure]

Abstract

The blood pressure response to dynamic exercise was studied in 90 adolescents (45 males and 45 females) mean age 15 years (range 13-16 years) with casual systolic and/or diastolic hypertension (H) and in 50 matched for age adolescents (26 males and 24 females) with casual blood pressure about the fiftieth percentile for age and sex (N). During the third blood pressure control they underwent a maximal bicycle exercise test in sitting position (10 W/min). During exercise and recovery ECG was recorded every 30 s and blood pressure, with a mercury sphygmomanometer, every 3 min. Adolescents with casual hypertension at rest showed, in comparison to normotensives, an increase in blood pressure (H: 176.1 +/- 18.8 mmHg; N: 167.4 +/- 14.2 mmHg, p less than 0.01 at peak of exercise) and in rate-pressure product (H: 326.8 +/- 40.9 X 10(-2); N: 308.7 +/- 29.4 X 10(-2); p less than 0.01 at peak of exercise) during exercise and recovery. Heart rate was greater at rest in hypertensive adolescents, but there was no difference between the 2 groups during exercise. Exercise tolerance was similar in the 2 groups. Casual transient hypertension at rest and excessive increase of systolic blood pressure during exercise could be expression of early cardiovascular changes preceding sustained hypertension.