Abstract
Eight adolescent patients, 7 boys(15-19 yrs.) and a 13 y. old girl with essential hypertension of 1-5 years duration(mean 3 y.) were studied. Blood pressure(BP) ranged 150-170/95-110 at rest and none received any medication. Simple progressive exercise on a bicycle ergometer with increments of 25 Watt(W) every minute were performed until limited by fatigue. Expired air was measured with a pneumotach and integrated to minute ventilation. Fractional concentration of mixed expired gas was analyzed with a rapid responding O2 analyzer. Oxygen consumption was calculated from the minute ventilation(STPD) and mixed exhaled O2. Seven patients reached ≥95% of predicted maximal heart rate. Maximal systolic BP ranged 165-240mm Hg.(mean 199). Diastolic BP increased in 1, did not change in 5, and decreased in 2. Maximal working capacity(Wmax) ranged 150-200 W. Maximal oxygen uptake (MVO2) was 2060 ml/min in the girl and 2535-3464 ml/min(mean 3072) for the boys(mean MVO2 41.6 ml/kg/min). Anerobic threshold (AT) occurred at 100-175 W(mean 134) which was 50-88% of Wmax (mean at 81%). None of the patients had chest pain or ECG abnormalities. These preliminary data suggest that, in the majority, BP does not rise to very high levels, strenuous exercise can be permitted but Wmax is at the low normal range in spite of normal AT.
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Nudel, D., Gootman, N., Brunson, S. et al. 14 EXERCISE PERFORMANCE OF ADOLESCENTS WITH ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 366 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00019