PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AFFECTS AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE IN NORMOTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE ELDERLY PEOPLE

Background Physical exertion elevates blood pressure. However, the qua ntitative relationship between ambulatory blood pressure and daily phy sical activity has not been studied well in elderly people. Methods Am bulatory blood pressure: monitoring was performed in conjunction with measurement of physical activity, using an electronic monitor with a p iezo sensor, in non-institutionalized hypertensive and normotensive el derly subjects. Results Systolic blood pressure was significantly rela ted to physical activity in all of the subjects, whereas diastolic blo od pressure was related to physical activity in most of the subjects. There was no difference in the degree of systolic blood pressure chang e caused by physical activity between normotensive subjects (0.09 +/- 0.07 mmHg/count, mean +/- SD) and hypertensive subjects (0.08 +/- 0.03 ). There was also no significant difference in the degree of diastolic blood pressure change caused by physical activity between normotensiv e subjects (0.04 +/- 0.02) and hypertensive subjects (0.04 +/- 0.07). Conclusion Physical activity increases ambulatory blood pressure both in normotensive and in hypertensive elderly people. However, there is no difference in the degree of blood pressure change caused by physica l activity between normotensive and hypertensive elderly people.