EXERCISE RESPONSE IN YOUNG-WOMEN WITH BORDERLINE HYPERTENSION

We compared the response to dynamic exercise in 157 females (mean age 19 ± 3 years) with borderline hypertension (BH) to findings in 105 normotensive controls. Near-maximal physical working capacity was 90 ± 17 W in females with BH and 71 ± 23 W for the controls (p < 0.001). Mean heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure levels both at rest and at exercise were significantly higher in BH patients (p < 0.001 for all). Mean change between rest and exercise for all the above parameters was not significantly different among BH patients compared with controls. Nonspecific ST-T changes at rest (p < 0.001) and exercise (p < 0.005) were more common and mean corrected QT interval was significantly longer (p < 0.001) in BH patients. The parallel exercise response that we found in BH and normotensives would not appear to substantiate the view that ergometry is particularly useful as a modality for diagnosing hypertension in young females.