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Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects of Lifestyle Modification: Possible Involvement of Nitric Oxide Bioavailability

Hypertension Research volume 28, pages 779–786 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Lifestyle modification is recommended as a non-pharmacological approach to treatment of hypertension. Many investigators have reported that exercise has antihypertensive effects, and various mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. For example, nitric oxide (NO), which may be increased by exercise, has been reported to play a crucial role in preserving vessel homeostasis both by regulating vascular tone and by exerting anti-atherosclerotic effects. NO is known to be exquisitely sensitive to inactivation by superoxide radicals. However, the relationship between the blood pressure-lowering effect of lifestyle modification and NO bioavailability remains unknown. We investigated the effects of a 12-week lifestyle modification program consisting of mild exercise and diet on changes in blood pressure, plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx), plasma nitrotyrosine, which is the footprint of NO interaction with reactive oxygen species, and plasma extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD). The 12-week lifestyle modification program lowered blood pressure and increased plasma NOx. When the subjects were divided into two groups according to the change of plasma nitrotyrosine as an indicator of NO bioavailability, the subjects whose plasma nitrotyrosine decreased exhibited a significant relationship between the blood pressure-lowering effect of the lifestyle modification and the increase in EC-SOD, whereas those without a decrease in plasma nitrotyrosine exhibited a significant relationship between the blood pressure-lowering effect and the increase in maximum oxygen consumption. These results indicate that the level of NO bioavailability influences the mechanism of the blood pressure-lowering effect of aerobic exercise and diet.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Development, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Masanori Ohta, Yasuyuki Matsushima & Masaharu Ikeda

  2. Department of Nutritional Science, Seinan-Jogakuin University, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Hiroki Nanri

  3. Fujitsu Akiruno Technology Center, Akiruno, Japan

    Yuji Sato

Authors
  1. Masanori Ohta
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  2. Hiroki Nanri
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  3. Yasuyuki Matsushima
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  4. Yuji Sato
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  5. Masaharu Ikeda
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Correspondence to Masanori Ohta.

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Ohta, M., Nanri, H., Matsushima, Y. et al. Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects of Lifestyle Modification: Possible Involvement of Nitric Oxide Bioavailability. Hypertens Res 28, 779–786 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1291/hypres.28.779

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1291/hypres.28.779

Keywords

  • nitric oxide bioavailability
  • oxidative stress
  • lifestyle modification
  • blood pressure
  • extracellular superoxide dismutase

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