Improvement of the Immunity System Through Sports: Novel Regulatory Mechanisms for Hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension and its resulting target organ damage is a complex process associated with a range of physiological and molecular factors, including immune regulation. The profound effects of exercise on normal immune system function and the development and progression of hypertension are well known. This review aims to create new avenues for preventing and treating hypertension and its associated target organ damage. This narrative review emphasizes the role of exercise training in the prevention/treatment of hypertension development through immune response modulation and presents current perspectives on the available scientific evidence. Several studies have shown that exercise regulates hypertension by altering immune cells, which is partly attributable to the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise training. Regular exercise modifies immune modulation and could represent a new mechanism for regulating hypertension. Although the utilization of exercise training and the immune system in conjunction for treating and preventing hypertension is still in its early stages, current scientific literature indicates numerous potential physiological links between exercise training, the immune system, and hypertension.