Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hypertensive Athletes can be Reduced by Antihypertensive Medication Despite Continuing Intense Aerobic Exercise

The masters athlete and use of antihypertensive medications

Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular condition in recreational athletes, especially older (masters) athletes. The interacting effects of hypertension, cardiac adaptation to endurance training, and antihypertensive medications on exercise performance are complex and of relevance to athletes, trainers, and health care providers. Cardiac adaptations occur in response to aging and endurance training, and findings may overlap with pathologic cardiac remodeling. This review summarizes the influence of antihypertensive medications on exercise performance, which can include both hemodynamic and metabolic effects, and includes practical considerations in choice of antihypertensive agent for the masters endurance athlete. Whereas the overriding priority for choice of antihypertensive is control of hypertension and improving clinical outcomes, other considerations regarding effects on exercise performance may also influence the choice of agent.

Regular physical activity: a major component of isolated systolic hypertension in the young

In the last few decades there has been much debate about the clinical significance of isolated systolic hypertension in youth (ISHY). Purpose of this article is to discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ISHY focusing on the relationship between ISHY and aerobic exercise. There is evidence to suggest that regular physical activity produces favourable long-standing cardiovascular effects in young individuals including the improvement of arterial elasticity as measured from carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and from small artery compliance. A recent ESH document recognises the heterogeneity of ISHY which may be associated with multiple factors that can interact to determine this BP phenotype. Several studies have shown that long-term training in aerobic sports is one main factor contributing to ISHY. In the athlete, the increased stroke volume secondary to low heart rate and the high arterial elasticity causes an increase in peripheral pulse pressure. This explains why ISHY is more common in physically trained than in sedentary individuals and is considered by some authors as a spurious hypertension. Recent results from the HARVEST study confirm the existence of an association between ISHY and endurance training. In that study the prevalence of ISHY was directly related to physical activity habits being 8.8% in the sedentary subjects and 25.7% in the athletes. Eligibility to competitive athletics of athletes with ISHY should be based on the results of 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring and careful clinical assessment of all cardiovascular risk factors and target organ involvement in order to establish the global level of risk.

Level of Physical Activity, Left Ventricular Mass, Hypertension, and Prognosis

Left ventricular hypertrophy is a strong predictor of prognosis in hypertension. Physical activity is associated with higher left ventricular mass but also reduced risk of cardiovascular outcomes. The aims were to explore whether (1) presence of hypertension modifies the association between physical activity and left ventricular mass; (2) the beneficial association between physical activity and prognostic outcome is modified by left ventricular hypertrophy. Randomly selected number of 3078 persons from the general population underwent echocardiogram. Left ventricular mass was indexed to body surface area. Level of physical activity was self-reported: inactivity, light activity, and moderate/high activity. Blood pressure was measured in rest: normal BP (<140/90 mm Hg) and hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg or in pharmacological treatment for hypertension). Presence of hypertension modified the association between physical activity and left ventricular mass index significantly (test for interaction: P =0.01): in normal BP, higher levels of physical activity were associated with significantly higher left ventricular mass index ( P <0.001), but this was not present in hypertension ( P =0.90). Level of physical activity was associated with reduction in mortality and cardiovascular outcome independent of the presence of LVH (Persons with LVH: light activity HR, 0.77 [0.52–1.15], moderate/high activity HR, 0.61 [0.38–0.97]; test for interaction between LVH and level of physical activity P =0.71). In conclusion, persons with normal BP had higher left ventricular mass index at increased levels of physical activity, whereas this association was not present among persons with hypertension. Level of physical activity was associated with better prognosis independent of whether left ventricular hypertrophy was present or not.