Relation between physical training and ambulatory blood pressure in stage I hypertensive subjects: Results of the HARVEST trial

Abstract

Background: This study was undertaken to assess whether ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in a population of stage I hypertensive individuals was lower in the subjects performing regular exercise training. Methods and Results: The study was carried out in 796 young hypertensive patients (592 men) who had never been treated who took part in the HARVEST trial. The diagnosis of stage I hypertension was made on the basis of six office BP measurements. Subjects underwent noninvasive 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, 24-hour urine collection for catecholamine assessment, and echocardiography (n=457). They were classified as exercisers if they reported at least one session of aerobic sports per week and as nonexercisers if they did not engage regularly in sports activities. Age (P