Dose-response curve to exercise in hypertensive individuals: analysis of the number of sessions to the hypotensive effect

The effect of exercise on blood pressure (BP) is already known; however, the dose-response curve of the hypotensive effect of exercise in hypertensive individuals is yet to be clarified. To evaluate the dose-response curve of the number of sessions that are necessary to cause a hypotensive effect in hypertensive individuals. 88 individuals, aged 58 +/- 11 years, divided in Experimental group (EG), with 48 that participated in a physical exercise program (PEP), which consisted of 40 minutes of aerobic exercises performed 3x/week, for 3 months, at 70% of the VO2max, and muscular exercises at 40% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and Control Group (CG) with 40 individuals that did not participate in the PEP. The systolic (SAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures were measured before each of the 36 sessions in the EG and assessed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in the CG. Differences in BP, the variation rate (D%) and the maximum hypotensive effect (MHE%) were observed between sessions. The data were expressed as means +/- SD; the t test and correlation were used, with p