Exercise helps manage prehypertension, hypertension in menopausal women

Women undergoing menopause or who have entered postmenopause may do well to perform exercise training, which produces slight but clinically meaningful reductions in blood pressure (BP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), especially in those with hypertension or prehypertension, according to a study.

Hypertension is more prevalent in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. As such, the current study synthesized the effect of exercise training in menopausal and postmenopausal women. The risk of bias was assessed in the included studies by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Pooled using a random-effects model, the data showed that compared with the control group, women who performed exercise training achieved clinically significant improvements in systolic BP (mean difference [MD], –3.43 mm Hg, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], –5.16 to –1.71; p<0.0001), diastolic BP (MD, –2.25 mm Hg, 95 percent CI, –3.40 to –1.11; p=0.0001), and MAP (MD, –3.48 mm Hg, 95 percent CI, –5.84 to –1.11; p=0.004).

Aerobic training (AT) did not produce a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP and MAP (p>0.05). On the other hand, combined training generated greater reductions.

The antihypertensive response to exercise is attributed to diminished peripheral vascular resistance. Other possible mechanisms include positive changes in oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial function, arterial compliance, body mass, renin-angiotensin system activity, parasympathetic activity, renal function, and insulin sensitivity. [Curr Hypertens Rep 2015;17:77]