Blood pressure changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension completing phase II pulmonary rehabilitation

A retrospective study was conducted evaluating the resting blood pressure (BP) of 160 patients at the onset and upon successful completion of a Phase II pulmonary rehabilitation program. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exercise at submaximal loads. Patients with both hypertension and COPD would remain hypertensive after a course of pulmonary rehabilitation. The two-tailed t-test was utilized to compare BP at the onset to BP at the completion of the program. No significant differences were found in the following groups: (1) Start and end SBP or DBP of all patients; (2) Start and end SBP or DBP of the 40 (25%) hypertensive patients (HTN-Pts); (3) Start and end SBP or DBP of the 6 (4%) HTN-Pts on antihypertensive (anti-HTN) medications; (4) Start and end SBP or DBP of the 34 (21%) HTN-Pts off anti-HTN medications. This study supports the hypothesis that HTN-Pts with COPD participating in a Phase II pulmonary rehab program remain hypertensive. Hypertension in this population should be treated medically.