Isometric exercises to lower blood pressure
In an email, University of Washington School of Medicine cardiologist Dr. Average DBP over 24 hours also went down, although to a lesser degree, with a reduction of 2.39 mm Hg. The researchers also found that aorta, or central, blood pressure - an important indicator of cardiovascular disease - reduced by an average of 7.48 mm Hg for SBP and 3.75 mm Hg for DBP. DBP also decreased by an average of 3.86 mm Hg. Looking at measurements taken as part of regular clinical practice, the researchers found that SBP reduced by an average of 6.97 mm Hg among the IRT group compared with controls. We found that IRT was very safe and caused meaningful changes in blood pressure - almost as much as what you’d expect to see with blood pressure-lowering medications.” We also wanted to know whether IRT was safe. “We were interested in how IRT reduced blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. The study features in the journal Hypertension Research. Jones explains, “IRT is a time-efficient means of reducing blood pressure, needing only 12 minutes a day, 2 to 3 days per week to produce the effects we found in our review.” Matthew Jones, is an accredited exercise physiologist and lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health at UNSW.ĭr. The meta-analysis suggests that IRT can safely lower blood pressure and may even be safer than other forms of exercise for some people. Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, recently led a new analysis of previous studies to explore the question of IRT’s safety. The concerns stem from the fact that IRT can increase blood pressure during exercise, especially when it involves large muscle groups or is high in intensity. However, concerns about its safety have stopped doctors from widely prescribing it.
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Research has suggested that IRT may reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The study findings suggest that IRT is both safe and effective in lowering blood pressure.A new meta-analysis of 24 primary studies reexamines the effectiveness of this form of exercise and assesses its safety.Previous research has shown isometric resistance training (IRT) to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but there have been safety concerns.
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