Exercise could be just as effective in lowering high blood pressure as prescribed medication, states a new study that has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study involved analysing data from 194 trials looking at the impact of drugs on lowering high blood pressure, and 197 trials testing the impact of structured exercise.
As part of the study, a combination of endurance exercise, such as cycling and walking, and dynamic resistance training, such as weight training with kettle bells or dumbbells, was found to be particularly effective in reducing blood pressure. Lead author Dr Huseyin Naci, of the London School of Economics, said he hoped the findings would inform discussions between doctors and patients. "We don't think, on the basis of our study, that patients should stop taking their antihypertensive medications," he said. "It's one thing to recommend that physicians start prescribing exercise to their patients, but we also need to be cognisant of the resource implications and ensure that the patients that have been referred to exercise interventions can adhere to them and so really derive benefit," he added.
High blood pressure aka hypertension can increase the risk of problems such as heart attacks and strokes, if not treated properly. Common medications include beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and diuretics.
