Relationship Of A Community Physical Activity Program With The Number Of Antihypertensive Drugs Used By Elderly Women With Arterial Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is an important tool to manage systemic arterial hypertension. However, less is known about the relationship of physical activity with the number of antihypertensive drugs used by older adults. The aim of this study was to compare the number of antihypertensive drugs used by older female adults (aged ≥ 60 years) with a low level of physical activity with the number used by those with a high level of physical activity, and to verify how many participants used more than two antihypertensive drugs. The habitual level of physical activity was evaluated by the Baecke questionnaireMethods: Twenty-eight physically active older women with systemic arterial hypertension who participated in a physical activity program for community-dwelling older female adults were divided into two groups: participants who presented lower habitual physical activity levels were placed in group 1 and participants that presented higher habitual physical activity levels were placed in group 2, according to the Baecke questionnaire. In addition, the number of antihypertensive drugs used by participants was collected.Results: The number of prescribed antihypertensive tablets was 2.0 (median) for both groups investigated. There was no significant difference between groups regarding the number of antihypertensive tablets prescribed (p>0.05). There was no statistical difference in proportion of participants from the lower physical activity group used more than two antihypertensive drugs.Conclusions: The level of habitual physical activity did not affect the number of antihypertensive tablets used by hypertensive elderly women.