Effects of exercise on central aortic pressure before and after treatment with renin–angiotensin system blockade in patients with hypertension

Introduction: Brachial blood pressure increases with exercise and an excessive rise predicts increased cardiovascular risk. Measurement of brachial blood pressure alone may exaggerate the true blood pressure elevation due to exercise-induced change to pressure amplification. Whether blood pressure-l...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Peter S Lacy, Patrick Brunel, Fabio Baschiera, Jaco Botha, Bryan Williams
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publications 2015-12-01
Series:Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/1470320314538879
Description
Summary:Introduction: Brachial blood pressure increases with exercise and an excessive rise predicts increased cardiovascular risk. Measurement of brachial blood pressure alone may exaggerate the true blood pressure elevation due to exercise-induced change to pressure amplification. Whether blood pressure-lowering treatment modulates pressure amplification during exercise is unknown. Methods: Thirty-two participants with stage 1–2 hypertension (mean age 59.2 years) received eight weeks’ blood pressure lowering with either aliskiren (300mg, n =16) or valsartan (320mg, n =16). Brachial and central aortic pressure (CASP) were measured non-invasively during treadmill exercise (Bruce protocol) at baseline, after eight weeks’ treatment and 48 hours following treatment withdrawal. Results: The rise in brachial blood pressure with exercise exceeded the rise in CASP, indicative of enhanced pressure amplification. Eight weeks’ treatment elicited similar reductions in brachial blood pressure and CASP which did not differ between rest and peak exercise ( p >0.05). The exercise-induced increase in systolic pressure amplification did not differ between baseline and following eight weeks’ treatment ( p >0.05). These effects remained unchanged following treatment withdrawal. Conclusion: Blood pressure lowering does not directly influence the relationship between aortic and brachial pressure either at rest or during exercise in patients with hypertension, other than through proportionate lowering of both pressures. These effects remained unchanged 48 hours after a simulated missed medication dose.
ISSN:1470-3203
1752-8976