Physical activity lowers hypertension risk: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Hypertension is a major global health concern with complex risk factors.
• The causal relationship between physical activity (PA) and hypertension risk remains an area of active investigation.
• Understanding the specific impact of different PA subtypes on blood pressure is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal effects of various physical activity (PA) subtypes on hypertension risk.
• To examine the association between genetically predicted PA and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• To provide genetic evidence supporting the role of PA in hypertension prevention and blood pressure management.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to assess causal relationships.
• Selected genetic variants associated with PA subtypes as instrumental variables from large-scale genome-wide meta-analyses.
• Analyzed hypertension data from the FinnGen database and blood pressure data from the IEU OpenGWAS project.

Main Results:

• Genetically predicted participation in heavy do-it-yourself, aerobic exercise, walking, and vigorous PA showed inverse associations with hypertension risk.
• Aerobic exercise, walking, and vigorous PA were significantly associated with reduced systolic blood pressure.
• Aerobic exercise and vigorous PA demonstrated significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

Conclusions:

• Mendelian randomization analysis provides robust genetic evidence that physical activity is a protective factor against hypertension.
• Specific types of physical activity, particularly aerobic and vigorous exercise, have a notable impact on lowering blood pressure.
• These findings underscore the importance of targeted exercise interventions for effective blood pressure management and hypertension prevention.