Does exercise training play a role in the treatment of essential hypertension?

Abstract

Endurance exercise training reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressures in approximately 75% of people who have essential hypertension; these reductions are approximately 10 mmHg for both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Exercise training at intensities of 40-70% VO2max appears to lower systolic blood pressure somewhat more and diastolic blood pressure to the same degree as higher-intensity training. Additional benefits of endurance exercise training on other risk factors for coronary heart disease make such training an efficacious intervention for people who have mild-to-moderate elevations in blood pressure.