The main purpose of this study is to assess whether exercise training reduces ambulatory blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension. To accomplish these goals 60 patients with resistant hypertension will be recruited and randomized into exercise training or control groups and followed up for 6 months. The patients in the exercise group will participate in a 3-month outpatient program. The control group will receive usual medical care. At baseline, after the intervention and 3 months after the end of the intervention both groups will undergo several evaluations, including casual and ambulatory blood pressure, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, quality of life, arterial stiffness, autonomic function, and endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
60
The 12-week exercise-training program will include three sessions of aerobic exercise per week
Cardiology Department, Hospital Infante D. Pedro, Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga
Aveiro, Portugal
Hypertension and Cardiovascular Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano, ULS Matosinhos
Matosinhos Municipality, Portugal
Ambulatory blood pressure
Blood pressure
Time frame: Change from Baseline in Blood Pressure at 3 months
Casual blood pressure
Blood pressure
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Body composition
Body composition
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Health-related quality of life
Health-related quality of life will be evaluated by the Short-Form 36.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Arterial stiffness
Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pressures and aortic augmentation index and augmentation pressure.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Heart rate variability
Recordings of R-R interval data; The R-R interval will be analyzed using time domain, frequency domain and Poincare´ plot techniques.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Circulating number of endothelial progenitor cells, circulating endothelial cells, nitric oxide and endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase
These markers will inform endothelial function, damage and repair
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Inflammation
Plasma levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory biomarkers.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Oxidative stress
Plasma levels of oxidative stress and antioxidant markers.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Daily physical activity
Physical activity will be measured during 7 consecutive days using an accelerometer.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Dietary intake
Dietary intake will be assessed using a 4-day food diary.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
VO2 max
VO2 max will be determined by the Chester step test.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
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