Isometric Handgrip Exercise for Blood Pressure Management

University of New England, Australia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hypertension

Treatments: Other: Isometric resistance training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02458456

UNewEngland1

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this project is to conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of performing isometric exercise using a handgrip dynamometer on blood pressure.

Full description

Recent meta-analyses suggest isometric resistance training (IRT) may be superior to aerobic exercise for lowering blood pressure. A randomised controlled study will be conducted with participants who are either pre-hypertensive, blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/90, or on medication to control their blood pressure. Previous studies have utilised a sedentary control so we intend to use a sham group to determine if it can be used as a working control for future studies.

Enrollment: 120 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Those within the required age limits, both normotensive, pre-hypertensive, and those medicated for blood pressure management.

Exclusion criteria

• Younger than 30 years and older than 70 years; those deemed not to have the capacity to voluntarily participate, unable to participate under their doctor's recommendation, or with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome who may aggravate their condition with handgrip exercise.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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120 participants in 6 patient groups

IHG 5% Hypertensive

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants who are either un-medicated pre-hypertensive or medicated for blood pressure management conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 5% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training

IHG 30% Hypertensive

Experimental group

Description:

Participants who are either un-medicated pre-hypertensive or medicated for blood pressure management conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 30% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training

IHG 30% Normotensive

Experimental group

Description:

Participants who are normotensive conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 30% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training

IHG 5% Normotensive

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants who are normotensive conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 5% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training

IHG 10% Hypertensive

Experimental group

Description:

Participants who are either un-medicated pre-hypertensive or medicated for blood pressure management conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 10% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training

IHG 10% Normotensive

Experimental group

Description:

Participants who are normotensive conducting isometric resistance training using a hand dynamometer at 10% of their maximum voluntary contraction. Participants with perform 4 x 2 minutes isometric handgrip exercises 3 times per week under supervision for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Isometric resistance training