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Updated: Jun 11, 2025
Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
Risk Factors Associated With Exaggerated Blood Pressure Response at the Time of Exercise Treadmill Stress Test
Vasiliki Katsi1, Nikolaos Ioakeimidis1, Yannis Dimitroglou1
1Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Background:
Exaggerated blood pressure response (EBPR) to exercise stress testing (EST) may be a marker of future hypertension and carry valuable information for the prediction of cardiovascular events. We sought to evaluate the clinical and resting EST parameters associated with an increased likelihood of EBPR.
Methods:
The records of 14,073 patients (mean age: 55 ± 11 years) without known cardiovascular disease who underwent a treadmill EST were analyzed.
Results:
The overall prevalence of arterial hypertension was 44%. A considerable proportion (24%) of patients exhibited EBPR. Multivariate analysis of the entire study population showed that middle-aged individuals (40-60 years old), resting systolic BP > 130 mmHg and/or diastolic BP > 80 mmHg, known arterial hypertension, current cigarette smoking, and family history of premature coronary artery disease are all independent risk factors for EBPR (all P < 0.001). Although the presence of arterial hypertension increased the likelihood of EBPR in the analysis of the entire population, the relevant association in subjects above 60 years old is statistically nonsignificant (P = 0.120). Notably, the pre-test systolic BP > 130 mmHg and/or diastolic BP > 80 mmHg level increased significantly the likelihood of manifesting EBPR in all age categories (<40, 40-60, and >60 years old) independent of hypertension presence and in all hypertensive patients independently of antihypertensive treatment intake (all P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Considering the diagnostic and prognostic utility of EBPR during treadmill EST the clinical and resting hemodynamic parameters that increase the likelihood of EBPR are targets for interventions and preventive measures to modify lifestyle risk behaviors and reduce hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in the early stages.
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01:26Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
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01:28Factors affecting Blood pressure
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