Higher levels of physical activity is associated with lower arterial stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) European Regional Development Fund – Operational Competitiveness Factors Program (COMPETE)

Background

 Physical activity has been associated with reduced arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension. However, in resistant hypertension, a specific population with an increased risk for target organ damage, cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality, the evidence is sparse. 

Purpose

 The present study aimed to determine the association between daily physical activity and arterial stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension.

Methods

 Fifty-seven patients with resistant hypertension were recruited. Physical activity was objectively assessed during 7 consecutive days with accelerometers. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) . 

Results

 Participants (50.9% men), aged 58.8 ± 9.4 years, were mainly overweight and were taking in average 4.5 antihypertensive medications. The cf-PWV showed an inverse correlation with light-intensity physical activity (r = -0.290, p = 0.029) and total daily physical activity (r = -0.287, p = 0.030). Additionally, cf-PWV tended to be inversely associated with the number of steps per day (r = -0.242, p = 0.069). Patients with higher risk of cardiovascular events (cf-PWV ≥ 10 m/s) tended to spend less time in light-intensity physical activity (324.0 ± 129.4 vs. 380.5 ± 103.1 min/day, p = 0.090) and to perform less total daily physical activity (351.5 ± 141.7 vs. 411.7 ± 109.1 min/day, p = 0.091) than participants with cf-PWV below the risk threshold value.

Conclusions

 Higher levels of total physical activity and daily levels of light-intensity were associated to lower arterial stiffness. These results emphasize the importance of physical activity as a nonpharmacological tool for patients with resistant hypertension.

High-intensity interval vs moderate-intensity continuous exercise in heated water-based on acute hemodynamic, vascular, and cardiac autonomic responses in older individuals with hypertension

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP #2017/25648-4 #2018/09695-5) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES – Finance Code 001).

OnBehalf

Exercise and Chronic Disease Research Laboratory (ECDR)

Introduction

Post-exercise hypotension is an important tool in the treatment and control of hypertension. In recent years, high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has gained significant popularity in exercise-based prevention and rehabilitation of clinical populations. However, to date, it is not clarifying the acute responses of exercise performed in heated water-based in older individuals with hypertension.

Purpose

To assess hemodynamic, vascular, and cardiac autonomic responses to heated water-based HIIE versus moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) in older individuals with hypertension.

Methods

Twenty older individuals (67 ± 7 y) under treatment for hypertension were randomly assigned to perform HIIE (25 min), MICE (30 min) and control (CON; 30 min) sessions in a heated swimming pool (30-32ºC). Blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness, endothelial reactivity, and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured before (PRE), immediately after (POST), and after 45 min (REC). 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring and ambulatory HRV were also performed after each intervention. HRV were analyzed in ms² (ms²) or normalized units (nu) and then converted into natural logarithms (ln). Time domain markers as mean of intervals R-R (µi-RR), and frequency domain such as high frequency band (HF) and low frequency band (LF).

Results

Systolic BP increased at POST (p < 0.05) in all interventions, with higher increases in CON (29 ± 3 mmHg) and MICE (19 ± 3 mmHg) than HIIE (9 ± 4 mmHg). Although systolic BP reduced at REC in all interventions, it returned to levels similar to PRE in HIIE, and continue at higher levels than PRE in MICE and CON. HIIE promoted a higher response on markers of parasympathetic modulation at REC compared to MICE (HFln,nu 0.14 ± 0.06, p = 0.02) and CON (µi-RR: 0.02 ± 0.01, p = 0.05). By contrast, during night-time, HIIE demonstrated a lower parasympathetic modulation than CON (HFln,nu: -0.06 ± 0.03, p = 0.05). In addition, CON showed a higher HRV during 24-h compared to HIIE and MICE.

Conclusion

Despite differences between interventions in BP and cardiac autonomic responses, heated water-based HIIE or MICE were not effective to improve hemodynamic and vascular responses. These results may have important implications in the management of older individuals with hypertension in heated water-based.

P4681Early findings in patients with noncompaction cardiomyopathy and normal ejection fraction: a cardiopulmonary exercise test, echocardiographic and biomarkers study

Background

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCC) is a cardiomyopathy with controversial diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, it has been discussed whether asymptomatic individuals with normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and diagnostic criteria for this disease could be classified as NCC. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the functional capacity of patients with NCC and the relation with echocardiographic and biomarkers indices.

Methods

Fifty-nine patients with NCC were prospectively divided into three groups: ejection fraction (EF)>50% (G1), EF between 40 - 50% (G2) and EF <40% (G3). In addition, 11 normal healthy volunteers were selected for control group (CG). All subjects underwent 2D echocardiography with tissue Doppler and myocardial deformation indices, cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), troponin I and BNP measurements.

Results

There was a decrease in VO2 peak (ml/km/min) in all NCC groups compared to CG (GC= 34.5±5.3, G1= 25.56±5.6, G2= 25.12±7.7 and G3= 21.86±6.3 ml/kg/min, p<0.001), but no difference was shown among NCC patients (p=0.37). In addition, the VO2 at anaerobic threshold (AT) was lower in all NCC groups compared to CG (GC= 22.88±3.3, G1= 17.30±4.7, G2= 18.58±5.2, e G3= 15.65±3.7 ml/kg/min, p<0.001). There was an increase in indexed ventricular mass in all NCC groups when compared to CG (p<0.001), but it was similar among NCC groups (p=0.72). Regarding to diastolic function, G2 and G3 presented a reduction in the peak velocity of the septal E' when compared to the control group (GC= 14.0±2.4, G2= 8.92±3.0 e G3= 6.86±3.9 cm/s, p<0,001), while E/E' was increased in G3 compared to all groups (p<0.001). G2 and G3 presented a decrease in global longitudinal strain (GLS) when compared to CG and G1 (p<0.001). The BNP levels were higher in G3 compared to the other groups (p<0.05), but no difference was found in troponin I levels. There was a positive correlation between VO2 peak and E' (r=0.56, p<0.001) and a negative correlation between VO2 peak and E/E' (r=−0.53, p<0.001). In addition, there was an inverse correlation between VO2 peak and BNP (r=−0.50, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Our results show that NCC patients present alterations in functional capacity, echocardiographic indices and biomarkers values according to LV dysfunction. Moreover, patients with preserved LV function already present predominant alterations in CPET suggesting subclinical myocardial dysfunction. For this reason, clinical treatment could be considered in this initial stage of this disease.

Acute effects of a single dose of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (sildenafil) on systemic arterial blood pressure during exercise and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in heart transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

Arterial systemic hypertension (SH) can be associated with a decrease in endothelium-dependent nitric oxide (NO). Sildenafil increases cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a mediator of NO. However, little is known about the effects of PDE5 inhibition on 24-hour ambulatory pressure (ABP) and exercise blood pressure, noreprinephrine (Nor), and exercise capacity, especially after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT).

METHODS

We studied 22 OHT patients who on the 1st day underwent a cardiopulmonary (CP) self-controlled treadmill 6' walk test (6') and, then, an ECG monitored CP treadmill maximal exercise test (Ex) within 60 and 90 minutes after oral Sildenafil (Sil; 50 mg) or placebo (Pl) given at random, and ABP. We determined at basal position (b), in the last minute of the 6' and at the peak Ex, the HR (bpm), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), (mm Hg), VO2 (mL/kg/min), Slope VE/VCO2, exercise time (ET, min), distance (D; miles), and Nor (pg/mL). Also, after CP tests, 24-h SBP and DBP, the measurements were repeated on the 2nd day when the cross-over was done.

RESULTS

Sil significantly reduced blood pressure in the basal position and during exercise. It also promoted a significant reduction in SBP and DBP during 24 hours, daytime and nighttime. Sil did not change exercise capacity.

CONCLUSION

The NO-cGMP pathway seems to play a role in blood pressure control in OHT. In addition to antihypertensive therapy, PDE5 inhibition may have potential beneficial effects on hypertensive OHT.