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Prevalence and predictors of resistance and aerobic exercise among hypertensive adults in the United States

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 29, pages 394–395 (2015)Cite this article

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Exercise is an important part of hypertension prevention and treatment. This study examines the number of US hypertensive adults who meet professional recommendations on aerobic and resistance exercise. We demonstrate a disappointingly low prevalence of adherence to exercise guidelines, particularly for resistance training. Our results suggest that increased exercise adherence may represent a promising opportunity to improve hypertension management in the US.

Aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive adults by reducing total peripheral vascular resistance and improving cardiorespiratory fitness.1 Accumulating evidence also supports the benefits of resistance exercise, including lower resting blood pressure and improved lipid profiles.1, 2, 3, 4 Indeed, specialty organizations worldwide have established aerobic exercise recommendations specifically for adults with hypertension,1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 many have also included resistance exercise recommendations.1, 7, 8, 9 These recommendations generally concord with those set by the US Department of Health and Human Services for the general public.10 In this study, we examined the number and proportion of hypertensive Americans who meet national guidelines10 for aerobic and resistance exercise and determined risk factors for adherence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    L Mu & K J Mukamal

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    A J Cohen & K J Mukamal

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  1. L Mu
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  2. A J Cohen
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  3. K J Mukamal
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Correspondence to K J Mukamal.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on the Journal of Human Hypertension website

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Mu, L., Cohen, A. & Mukamal, K. Prevalence and predictors of resistance and aerobic exercise among hypertensive adults in the United States. J Hum Hypertens 29, 394–395 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2014.104

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