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Published on: February 14, 2021
Exercise training restores baroreflex sensitivity in never-treated hypertensive patients
Mateus C Laterza1, Luciana D N J de Matos, Ivani C Trombetta
1Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|April 18, 2007
Summary
Exercise training improves baroreflex control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and heart rate (HR) in hypertensive patients. This intervention also reduces blood pressure (BP) and normalizes MSNA, restoring autonomic function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Regulation
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Hypertension is associated with impaired baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity.
- The impact of exercise training on baroreflex sensitivity in hypertensive individuals remains unclear.
- Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and heart rate (HR) are key indicators of autonomic function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of exercise training on baroreflex control of MSNA and HR in never-treated hypertensive patients.
- To determine if exercise training reduces MSNA and blood pressure (BP) in hypertension.
- To compare exercise training effects in hypertensive and normotensive individuals.
Main Methods:
- Twenty never-treated hypertensive patients were randomized into exercise-trained and untrained groups.
- An age-matched normotensive exercise-trained group served as a control.
- Baroreflex control of MSNA and HR was assessed using pharmacological stimuli (phenylephrine, sodium nitroprusside) and analyzed via linear regression.
- Beat-to-beat BP was monitored throughout the study.
- Exercise intervention involved three 60-minute sessions per week for 4 months.
Main Results:
- Before training, hypertensive patients exhibited elevated BP and MSNA, and reduced baroreflex control of MSNA and HR compared to normotensive controls.
- Exercise training significantly reduced BP and MSNA levels in hypertensive patients.
- Exercise training significantly enhanced baroreflex control of MSNA and HR during both increases and decreases in BP.
- Post-training, the difference in baroreflex sensitivity between hypertensive and normotensive groups disappeared.
- No significant changes were observed in the untrained hypertensive group.
Conclusions:
- Exercise training effectively restores baroreflex control of MSNA and HR in hypertensive patients.
- Exercise training normalizes MSNA and decreases BP in individuals with hypertension.
- Regular exercise is a viable strategy for improving autonomic cardiovascular regulation in hypertension.
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