Cardiovascular responses to exercise in essential hypertension

Cardiovascular responses to treadmill exercise were studied using the Bruce protocol in 40 patients with essential hypertension (20 males; 20 females) and 36 normotensive controls (20 males; 16 females) with similar age, level of habitual physical activity, smoking and alcohol habits. Maximal heart rate (MHR) was significantly lower in hypertensives than normotensives but there was no significant difference when treated were compared with untreated male hypertensives. Rest -maximal change in heart rate (delta HR) was lower in hypertensives than normotensives (males P less than 0.02). The blood pressure (BP) response was significantly higher in hypertensives than normotensives and in untreated than treated hypertensive males. The delta SBP was not significantly different in hypertensives and normotensives. The mean PRP max was significantly higher in male hypertensives than normotensives, lower in treated vs untreated male hypertensives; similar in treated hypertensives and normotensives and also in female hypertensives (mainly a treated group) compared with controls. The cardiovascular responses to exercise in the hypertensive population studied were significantly different from normotensives. The benefit of treatment of hypertensives is further emphasized by the reduction in blood pressure response to exercise and the reduced myocardial oxygen consumption during maximal exercise.