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Low-intensity isometric handgrip exercise has no transient effect on blood pressure in patients with coronary artery
Karla Goessler1, Roselien Buys1, Véronique A Cornelissen1
1Research Group for Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Hypertension is highly prevalent among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation reduces blood pressure (BP). However, less is known about the transient effect of a single bout of exercise on BP. Isometric handgrip exercise has been proposed as a new nonpharmacologic tool to lower BP. We aimed to investigate the acute effect of isometric handgrip exercise on BP in CAD patients. Twenty-one male CAD patients were included. All patients completed two experimental sessions in random order: one control and one low-intensity isometric handgrip session. BP was measured by means of a 24-hour ambulatory BP monitor preintervention, for 1 hour in the office and subsequently for 24 hours. Our results suggest that isometric handgrip exercise performed at low intensity is safe in patients with CAD but does not induce a transient reduction in BP.
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