AN ALTERNATIVE PROTOCOL TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TO ISOMETRIC EXERCISE TRAINING TO TREAT UNCOMPLICATED HYPERTENSION

Résumé fourni par la source

Objective: Isometric exercise training (IET) is consistently shown to reduce blood pressure (BP). We recently investigated the feasibility of delivering a personalised isometric wall-squat protocol to patients with Stage-1 hypertension within a free-to-access healthcare setting. Whist healthcare professionals (HCP) and patients thought the intervention was feasible, any exercise prescription requiring HCP input and specific resource allocation was not deemed viable. This study aimed to examine the effect of a low resource IET prescription using rating of perceived exertion (RPE) versus HCP prescription and control group upon BP. Design and method: 30 participants with normal to high-normal BP were randomised into either a (heart rate) HR-Exercise (HR-EX), RPE-Exercise (RPE-EX) or control (CON) group. IET groups undertook a 4-week home-based wall-squat programme with intensity prescribed either directly by a HCP using our established HR method (HR-EX), or self-prescribed using a RPE selection protocol (RPE-EX). The CON group maintained their normal lifestyle. Clinic BP was measured at baseline and post-IET. Results: Clinic systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) were significantly reduced (p < 0.001) in both intervention groups following IET compared to baseline. Group mean reductions for the HR-EX (SBP: -14 ± 6, DBP: -6 ± 4 mmHg) and RPE-EX (SBP: -9 ± 6, DBP: -6 ± 4 mmHg) were greater (p < 0.001) than CON (no differences) group. There were no differences between intervention groups in the magnitude of the BP reductions; however, at baseline HR-EX had greater SBP (p < 0.001) results compared to RPE-EX, but following the IET there were no significant differences between these groups. Conclusions: RPE prescribed wall-squat IET provides an efficacious method for reducing BP at home, delivering reductions comparable to the HR-based prescription method. This new RPE-based method, developed because of difficulties in delivering IET prescription in a general healthcare setting, demonstrates great potential as an effective lifestyle intervention to lower BP mainly due to improved access. It requires minimal resource to deliver and implement in any environment and could be provided entirely online.

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