Aerobic exercise may help decrease blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension, suggests a new study published online in JAMA Cardiology.

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial which revealed that patients with resistant hypertension who underwent a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training program were found to have lower BP compared to patients who were given usual care. Fifty three patients, 40 to 75 years of age, with resistant hypertension were enrolled. It was noted that 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP decreased by 7.1 mmHg among patients in the exercise group compared to the control group. Additionally, in the exercise group, the following reductions were also noted:

• –5.1 mmHg of 24-hour ambulatory diastolic BP
• –8.4 mmHg of daytime systolic BP
• –5.7 mmHg of daytime diastolic BP
• –10 mmHg of office systolic BP… (Medscape)