Comparing the Effectiveness of Aerobic Training, Isometric Handgrip Exercise and Yoga Therapy to Manage Primary Hypertension: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: Hypertension is the most avoidable cause of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), with a prevalence of 22.4% among young adults. Lifestyle modifications, dietary changes and various non pharmacological therapies-including aerobic training, resistance training, handgrip exercises and yoga therapyare effective in managing primary hypertension. However, non pharmacological treatments have shown contradicting results in earlier studies. Therefore, there is a need to identify better interventions for managing primary hypertension to lessen the considerable burden of hypertension on the public health system. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of aerobic training, isometric handgrip exercise and yoga therapy in managing blood pressure among individuals with primary hypertension. Materials and Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted at MM Super-Speciality Hospital, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India from February 2023 to May 2023. Forty hypertensive patients over 18 years of age were recruited based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were divided into four groups: aerobic training, isometric handgrip exercise, yoga therapy and a control group, with 10 subjects in each group. Six weeks of intervention were provided four times a week and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) were measured at baseline and postintervention. For statistical analysis, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied for intra- and intergroup comparisons. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Aerobic training showed significant improvement (p-value <0.001) in SBP, with a median (IQR) reduction of 9.75 and in DBP, with a median (IQR) reduction of 9.50, along with regular pharmacotherapy. Conclusion: A supervised aerobic exercise training program, along with pharmacotherapy, was superior to other interventions in effectively managing primary hypertension.