Abstract
Sedentary habits are largely responsible for the alarming rise in the prevalence of
hypertension among young individuals. Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce
not only blood pressure (BP) in resting conditions but also BP reactivity to stressors.
Much less is known about the long-term effects of physical activity on target organ
damage in hypertension. Some studies have documented that exercise is able to decrease
rather than increase left ventricular mass and that even competitive athletics have
beneficial effects on the heart. In addition, physical activity during leisure has
been found to be inversely associated with the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis
and to delay aging dependent arterial stiffness. Isolated systolic hypertension in
physically active young people is often an innocent clinical condition caused by an
elevated pulse pressure amplification and low wave arterial reflection from peripheral
sites, due to increased arterial elasticity. The above findings support a strategy
of exercise training as an initial approach in the management of young sedentary patients
in the early stages of hypertension. Caution should be used in subjects with more
severe hypertension and every hypertensive athlete should be thoroughly investigated
to exclude target organ damage and coronary artery disease.
Key words
training - heart - carotid - sympathetic
