10 Minutes of Exercise Lowers BP

Spending more than six hours a day sitting during the transition from childhood to young adulthood can lead to a 4 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure, according to a recent study.

Engaging regularly in light physical activity (LPA) can significantly offset this rise in blood pressure.

This research, a collaboration between the Universities of Bristol and Exeter in the UK and the University of Eastern Finland, was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

The study tracked 2,513 participants from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s cohort, monitoring them from age 11 to 24.

Initially, children were spending about six hours daily being sedentary, six hours on LPA, and around 55 minutes on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

By young adulthood, these participants spent nine hours sedentary, three hours on LPA, and about 50 minutes on MVPA daily.

Blood pressure readings showed an average increase from 106/56 mmHg in childhood to 117/67 mmHg in young adulthood, partially due to normal growth.

An increase in sedentary behavior over this period corresponded with a 4 mmHg rise in systolic blood pressure.

However, active participation in LPA since childhood reduced the final systolic level by 3 mmHg, while MVPA showed no significant impact on lowering blood pressure.

A simulation model revealed that replacing 10 minutes of sedentary time each hour with LPA from childhood could lower systolic blood pressure by 3 mmHg and diastolic by 2 mmHg.

Such reductions are important because a 5 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure in adults can reduce heart attack and stroke risks by 10%, noted Andrew Agbaje, an esteemed physician and associate professor at the University of Eastern Finland.

This research is the most extensive and longest study globally using accelerometers to track movement and blood pressure changes in youth.

Blood pressure, sedentary time, LPA, and MVPA were measured at ages 11, 15, and 24.

Additionally, children's fasting blood was tested for factors like cholesterol levels, glucose, insulin, and inflammation biomarkers.

Factors such as heart rate, socio-economic background, family history of heart disease, smoking habits, and body composition were also considered in the analyses.

Agbaje previously demonstrated that high blood pressure and hypertension in adolescence could lead to early heart damage in young adulthood.

He emphasized the clinical and public health importance of identifying childhood inactivity as a potential cause of high blood pressure, with LPA being an effective countermeasure.

Previous MVPA-focused trials in young populations have failed to reduce blood pressure, potentially due to MVPA-induced muscle mass increases leading to physiological blood pressure rises, Agbaje explained.

The World Health Organization anticipates 500 million new cases of inactivity-related non-communicable diseases by 2030, with half due to hypertension.

Ensuring at least three hours of LPA daily is essential to prevent and reverse high blood pressure. Activities like walking, household chores, swimming, and bicycling qualify as LPA.

Agbaje urges parents, pediatricians, and policymakers to promote LPA among children and teens to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Agbaje's research group, urFIT-child, receives funding from various foundations, including the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation Central Fund, and several others dedicated to advancing cardiovascular and pediatric research.

Source: sciencedaily

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