Pressão arterial imediata pós-exercício e espessura da carótida aumentada em idosos hipertensos e normotensos: um estudo transversal

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise is associated to risk of future hipertension and cardiovascular mortality, few studies have explored the association with carotid atherosclerosis for the elderly population, the objective of this study was to examine the association between the exaggerated blood pressure response in submaximal intensities and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive and non-hypertensive elderly. METHODS: 115 elderly (55.6% hypertensive, 78% female, 67,1 ± 5.8 years) participated in a 3-minute walk test at 2.7 km/h with 10% incline (5 MET's), blood pressure was measured before and immediately after the test. Intimamedia thickness was measured by ultrasound, values above %75 in the MESA study were considered increased intima-media thickness. RESULTS: Positive associations were found between exaggerated blood pressure response and carotid artery intima-media thickness for 5mmHg increases (OR = 1.16; 95% CI 1.01-1.34; =0.0038) and 10mmHg increases (OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.02-1.79; p=0.0038). CONCLUSION: Non-hypertensive elderly people who presented an exaggerated blood pressure response to a moderate exercise session have an increased chance of having increased carotid artery intima-media thickness.