Abstract
This study aimed to identify the relationship between exercise-induced
hypertension and carotid artery intima-media thickness in long-distance runners.
Sixty healthy male runners aged 40 to 60 years were assigned to the following
three groups based on resting blood pressure and maximal systolic blood pressure
during a maximal exercise test: normal blood pressure response, exercise-induced
hypertension, and complex hypertension. An exaggerated systolic blood pressure
response was defined as a maximal systolic blood pressure+≥+210 mmHg during the
maximal exercise test, while carotid intima-media thickness was measured using
B-mode ultrasonography. The carotid intima-media thickness mean values were the
highest in the complex hypertension group (0.72±0.11 mm), followed by
exercise-induced hypertension (0.62±0.12 mm) and normal blood pressure groups
(0.55±0.13 mm), with a significant difference between the groups (p+<+0.002).
In linear regression analysis, the mean intima-media thickness was independently
associated with age (p=0.015) and maximal systolic blood pressure (p=0.046) but
not with resting systolic blood pressure. These results suggest that
exercise-induced hypertension is associated with carotid intima-media thickness,
a surrogate marker of cardiovascular disease, in long-distance runners.
Therefore, evaluating the blood pressure response during exercise is important
for the early detection of potential cardiovascular disease risks in
long-distance runners.
Keywords
marathon - exercise-induced hypertension - carotid intima-media thickness
