The Effects of Swimming on Elderly Women With Stage-2 Hypertension

Pusan National University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hypertension; Menopause

Treatments: Behavioral: Swimming

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03546270

SwimmingMenopause

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aging is associated with progressive decreases in arterial health and function as well as overall fitness. It is crucial to prevent or reduce the negative effects of aging on the vasculature and fitness components by implementing appropriate lifestyle interventions, such as exercise training. We examined the effects of a swimming (SWM) regimen on arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV), blood pressure (BP), wave reflection (AIx), muscle strength and aerobic capacity in elderly women with stage 2 hypertension.

Full description

Using a parallel experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to either SWM (n=52) or non-exercising control group (n=48) for 20 weeks. Participant in the SWM group trained 3-4 days/week, progressing in duration from 25 to 45 min. Participants' carotid to radial PWV (crPWV), systolic and diastolic BP, AIx, strength and VO2max were measured at baseline and after 20 weeks of their assigned intervention.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 65 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• systolic/diastolic BP: 140-179 over 90-119 mm Hg
• had experienced the absence of menstruation for at least 1 year
• body mass index <30 kg/m2
• <1 h of regular exercise per week in the previous year

Exclusion criteria

• Smoker
• Taking any medications or hormone therapy in previous year

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

100 participants in 2 patient groups

Swimming

Experimental group

Description:

Participants performed SWM training (combination of free style, breast stroke, and backstroke) for 20 weeks. For the first 5 weeks subjects swam 25-30 minutes/day, 3-4 days/week at \~60% of maximal heart rate. As their overall level of fitness and exercise skill improved, the intensity and duration of exercise increased to 40-45 minutes/day, 3-4 days/week at an intensity of 70-75% of the HRmax. Target HR was adjusted based on the observation that maximal heart rate during SWM is approximately 12 beats/min lower than that during running. Each subject was instructed to swim continuously except during the time needed for checking a target heart rate

Treatment:

Behavioral: Swimming

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the non-exercising control group did not participate in a supervised exercise program and visited the laboratory at the same frequency as participants in the swim intervention and underwent recreational activities such as board games