EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION FOR HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Physical conditioning has been suggested as a useful adjunct or alternative to pharmacologic therapy in the treatment of borderline or mild hypertension. This recommendation stems from numerous studies that have demonstrated modest decreases in blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Exercise guidelines should be based on preliminary exercise testing and modified to accommodate those patients who are taking a variety of antihypertensive medications. Although pure isometric exercise is generally contraindicated in hypertensive patients, potentially valuable training activities that involve a substantial static component, including arm crank ergometry and mild-to-moderate load weight training, probably requires individual assessment.