Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Background : Hypertension is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors after the fifth decades of life in women but mechanisms responsible for the increase in blood pressure are complex. The present study was performed to assess the effect of aerobic exercise in endothelin-1, C-reactive protein and nitric oxide in hypertensive postmenopausal women (HPW).

  Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 20 hypertensive postmenopausal, sedentary women, aged 50–55 years were randomized to an rhythmic aerobic exercise intervention of moderate-intensity (50%–65% maximal heart rate), for 45-60 min/day, and 3 days/week for 6 weeks(n=10 per each groups). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values and alsoplasma levels of endothelin-1, C-reactive protein and nitric oxide were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by paired and independent t tests (p<0.05).

  Results : A significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (p=0.001, p=0.008, respectively) was seen after aerobic exercise which was accompanied by markedly increase of nitric oxide (p=0.002) and significantly decrease in plasma ET-1(p=0.001) and C-reactive protein (p=0.001) concentrations in the HPW.

  Conclusions: A program of supervised aerobic exercise improves hypertension and may attenuate the increased inflammatory and vasoconstrictor mediators by increasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide.