NHMRC workshop on non-pharmacological methods of lowering blood pressure. The role of physical activity

Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated a negative association between the reported level of leisure-time activity, measured endurance fitness, and blood pressure. There have also been a number of prospective trials; the majority indicate that an increase in fitness is followed by a fall in blood pressure. Few have included control subjects--a critical defect, since a spontaneous fall in blood pressure is customary with serial measurements in individuals. The studies which did have control subjects were examined in detail. These also generally indicated a lowering of blood pressure with increasing fitness. However, other flaws in design of these studies, such as a lack of blind assessment, prohibit confident conclusions. There is a need for further randomized, controlled, single-blind trials concerning the relationship between physical activity and blood pressure.