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Effect of Moderate Physical Training on Left Ventricular Mass in Mild Hypertensive Persons

Exercise might reduce blood pressure in mild essential hypertensive individuals, but it could raise left ventricular mass, counteracting the beneficial effects induced by a decrease in blood pressure. Seventeen (group 1) of 25 mild hypertensive patients, nonresponders to a 3-month low sodium diet (2 g/day), were admitted into a physical training program consisting of three weekly sessions of aerobics (20 minutes), bicycling at prefixed loads (20 minutes), and induced muscular relaxation (10 minutes). They were compared with 15 mild hypertensive patients (group 2), nonresponders to the low sodium diet who remained untrained. The follow-up lasted 15.7±5.8 months. There were significant blood pressure decreases in group 1 at rest (155 ±9.8/101 ±3.3 vs. 136±8.1/86±6.6 mm Hg, p < 0.001) and at maximal effort (219±27.4/119±14.4 vs. l%±21.8/101±10.5 mm Hg, p < 0.001). Maximal work capacity increased from 758.8±256.7 to 944.1±203.8 kpm (/x 0.001). Echocardiographic left ventricular mass index tended to decrease (137.8±36.3 vs. 125.4±29.9 g/m2, p=NS), without any significant modification of either left ventricular volume index or left ventricular shortening fraction. No significant changes occurred in group 2. There was no correlation between blood pressure and left ventricular mass changes and left ventricular shortening fraction and left ventricular mass index changes. According to these results, it seems prudent to prescribe physical training to mild hypertensive patients because it does not induce left ventricular mass increases. The reduction of left ventricular mass did not correlate with blood pressure decreases, suggesting that several factors other than the reduction of left ventricular afterload might be involved.