Blood pressure response to exercise : a marker for future hypertension ?

Whether or not an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise in childhood predicts adult-onset essential hypertension is not known. While peak systolic blood pressure during exercise can indicate future hypertension, left ventricular mass (measured echocardiographically) and resting systolic blood pressure seem to be much better predictors. However, the blood pressure response to exercise in groups of normotensive individuals, such as those with a family history of hypertension, may identify physiologic changes associated with the early hypertensive state.