Acute Effects of an Interval Aerobic Session on Flow-Mediated Dilation and Blood Pressure in Women with Prehypertension

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of an interval aerobic session on Flow-Mediated Dilation and blood pressure in women with prehypertension (SBP=120-139 mmHg or DBP=80-89 mmHg). For this purpose, 12 women with prehypertension (mean±SD age 29.4±3.6 years, weight 65.7±4.6 kg, BMI 24.9±1.5 kg.m2), without exercise activities or any cardiovascular disease, were participated in control and aerobic exercise trials. Interval aerobic exercise concluded four sets of four minutes running with 90 to 95 percent of maximal heart rate, and four minutes of active walking rest intervals. Flow mediated dilation was measured before and one hour after the exercise session using Doppler sonography. And, blood pressure was measured before, immediately, and every 10min for 60min after the exercise session. Results of the paired-samples t-test showed a significant increase in the Flow-Mediated Dilation, one hour after interval aerobic exercise (P=0.000). In addition, interval aerobic exercise can significantly reduce the blood pressure from 20 to 60 minutes after the exercise. In conclusion, this study shows that performing a session of interval aerobic exercise, leads to improved Flow-Mediated Dilation and blood pressure in women with prehypertension.