Response of Adolescents and Young Adults with Primary Hypertension to a Sub-maximal Load and their Regime of Physical Activity

Overview

Primary hypertension is conditioned by the combined influence of genetic and external factors, in particular poor dietary habits, stress and inadequate physical activity (6, 10). Minimalization of the adverse environmental effect involves preventive measures via dietary, psychological and physical activity intervention. A very important part in the prevention of hypertension is played by physical activity (PA) (6, 10, 19). So far, however, the volume, intensity and form of PA in children and adolescents with elevated blood pressure was not defined. The objective of the investigation was to test the response of adolescents and young adults with primary hypertension to a physical load of submaximal intensity and to assess at the same time their fitness and regime of physical activity.The research project comprised 49 asymptomatic subjects -⁠ males with the primary form of hypertension aged 16 to 23 years (mean age 18.1 ± 1.9 years, body weight 81.7 ± 14.4 kg, height 180.5 ± 6.2 cm, percentage of body fat 12.8 ± 6 %, BMI 24.4 ± 5.1 kg.m2, systolic blood pressure (BPs) 133.6 ± 11.7 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure (BPd) 80.7 ± 9.0 mm Hg). In all patients the secondary form of hypertension was ruled out. The group of normotonic subjects comprised 32 aged 16 to 23 years (mean age 19.5 ± 1.4 year, body weight 75.8 ± 6.9 kg, height 182 ± 6 cm, percentage of body fat 10.2 ± 4 %, BMI 22.7 ± 1.6 kg.m2, BPs 125.9 ± 12.1 mm Hg, BPd 75.3 ± 6.8 mm Hg). The probands of both groups were tested by walking (rate 5, 6, 7 km/h-1) and running on a treadmill (rate 9 km.h-1) with a 1.5 % gradient. In the course of the defined load the response of BP, heart rate and selected spirometric parameters (pulmonary ventilation (VE) oxygen consumption (VO2), oxygen consumption per kg body weight (VO2/kg), respiratory quotient (RQ)) were recorded.In hypertonic subjects statistically significantly higher mean values of body weight, ratio of body fat, BPs and BPd at rest, during a load and after its termination were found (p

Key words:
juvenile hypertension, physical fitness, loading test, physical activity