Lower Systolic Blood Pressure in Normotensive Subjects is Related to Better Autonomic Recovery Following Exercise

Abstract

Blood pressure (Bp) is a cardiovascular parameter applied to detect cardiovascular risk. Recently, the pre-hypertension state has received greater consideration for prevention strategies. We evaluated autonomic and cardiorespiratory recovery following aerobic exercise in normotensive individuals with different systolic BP (SBP) values. We investigated 30 healthy men aged 18 to 30 years divided into groups according to systolic BP (SBP): G1 (n = 16), resting SBP <110 mmHg and G2 (n = 14), resting SBP between 120-110 mmHg. The groups endured 15 minutes seated at rest, followed by a submaximal aerobic exercise on a treadmill and then remaining seated for 60 minutes also at rest, during recovery from the exercise. Cardiorespiratory parameters and heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) (rMSSD, SD1, HF [ms 2 ]) were evaluated before and during recovery from exercise. G2 displayed slower return of SBP, rMSSD and SD1 HRV indices during recovery from exercise compared to G1. In conclusion, normotensive subjects with higher resting SBP (110 to 120 mmHg) offered delayed autonomic recovery following moderate exercise. We suggest that this group may be less physiologically optimized leading to cardiac risks. Cardiovascular diseases are the foremost cause of mortality worldwide 1. Studies in humans and animals have demonstrated that autonomic dysfunction is closely related to cardiovascular diseases, since autonomic dysfunction implies an inferior prognosis for individuals, increasing the risk of cardiac arrest, infarctions and sudden death 2-4. Hence, a non-invasive method that evaluates autonomic modulation is heart rate (HR) variability (HRV). It defines the oscillations between consecutive inter-beat intervals (IBI) that are related to the influence of the autonomic nervous system on the sinus node of the heart 5. HRV is reduced in hypertension 6 , which is a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disorders and the chief reason of premature death 1,7. Approximately, one billion people globally are hypertensive and more vulnerable to stroke and sudden death 1,7. So, due to the hazardous control of blood pressure (BP) levels in the hypertensive population, there is an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality 8. According to the most recent guidelines for the management of hypertension, BP is classified as normal for systolic BP (SBP) <120 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) <80 mmHg); pre-hypertension for SBP between 129 and 139 mmHg and/or DBP between 80 and 89 mmHg; stage 1 hypertension for SBP between 140 and 159 mmHg and/or DBP between 90 and 99 mmHg and; stage 2 hypertension for SBP values ≥160 mmHg and/or DBP ≥100 mmHg 9. Pre-hypertension was formerly indicated to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease 10. Guo et al. 10 commenced a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to evaluate the connection between pre-hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. The authors considered pre-hypertension or high normal BP as baseline exposure, fatal or non-fatal incident stroke, myocardial...

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