Table 1.
Summary of the main systematic reviews with meta-analysis covering the effects of exercise training on blood pressure control
| Author, date | Main characteristics of the review | Main results |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic exercise training | ||
| Börjesson et al, 201614 | 27 RCTs, with a total of 1,480 participants | Mean reductions of 10.8 mmHg for SBP and 4.7 mmHg for DBP; 40–60 minutes/session, ≥3 times/week, ≥4 weeks, at moderate or high intensity was associated with the greatest BP lowering effect |
| Cornelissen et al, 201316 | 15 RCTs, with 633 participants 30–60 minutes/session, 2–5 times/week, ≥4 weeks (6–52 weeks), at 50%–75% HR reserve |
Reduction in daytime SBP and DBP: 3.2 mmHg and 2.7 mmHg No nighttime BP reduction |
| Cornelissen et al, 201317 | 59 RCTs, with 3,957 participants 30–60 minutes/session, 3–5 times/week, 4–52 weeks, at moderate intensity (walking and jogging) |
Office SBP and DBP reduction of 8.3 and 5.2 mmHg, respectively, in hypertensive participants; 4.3 and 1.7 mmHg in prehypertensive, and 0.75 and 1.1 mmHg in normotensive participants |
| Resistance exercise training | ||
| MacDonald et al, 201618 | 64 controlled studies, with 2,344 participants Moderate-intensity resistance exercise, mean 65% 1-RM; 3 sets, 8 exercises, 11 repetitions; 3 times/week, 6–48 weeks |
Reductions of SBP and DBP of 5.7/5.2 mmHg in participants with hypertension and 3.0/3.3 mmHg in participants with prehypertension |
| Concurrent exercise training | ||
| Corso et al, 201620 | 68 trials, with 4,110 participants 60 minutes/session; 3 times/week, 3–144 weeks of moderate intensity (aerobic exercise at 55% VO2 max; resistance exercise at 60% 1-RM) |
Reductions of SBP and DBP of 5.3/5.6 mmHg in hypertensive patients and 2.9/3.6 mmHg in prehypertension. Reductions of 9/7.7 mmHg were found in higher quality studies with hypertensive participants |
| Isometric exercise training | ||
| Inder et al, 201621 | 11 RCTs, with 302 participants; 6 trials used handgrip and 5 used leg exercises | Decrease in SBP (4.5 mmHg) and DBP (4.5 mmHg) in hypertensive participants Higher SBP decrease in handgrip (6.9 mmHg) vs leg exercise (4.2 mmHg) |
| Jin et al, 201722 | 6 RCTs, with 157 subjects | Reductions of SBP and DBP of 8.33 and 3.9 mmHg in hypertensive patients |
Abbreviations: RCT, randomized controlled trials; RM, repetition maximum