Positive Family History Of Hypertension Increases Left Ventricular Mass Unrelated To Resistance Exercise Blood Pressure

Having a positive family history of hypertension (+FHH) has been linked to greater left ventricular muscle mass/body surface area (LVM/BSA). This relationship has been previously reported to be stronger in females compared to males. Additionally, normotensive +FHH females exhibit exaggerated systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses to static muscle contraction. It remains unclear if they demonstrate exaggerated SBP responses to dynamic muscle contractions common during resistance exercise. If SBP response to dynamic exercise (eSBP) is exaggerated, it may contribute to the increased LVM/BSA previously reported in +FHH individuals. PURPOSE: To determine if LVM/BSA and eSBP during leg extension exercise are exaggerated in normotensive young adult females with +FHH compared to those with a negative family history of hypertension (-FHH). METHODS: Participants underwent an initial enrollment visit, which included bilateral leg extension 1 repetition maximum (1RM) testing. During a subsequent visit ultrasound and exercise testing occurred. The parasternal long axis echocardiographic view of the heart was performed to estimate LVM/BSA from linear heart dimensions at rest. The participants then performed 5 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% 1RM with 60s rest intervals while blood pressure was continuously monitored using finger plethysmography. RESULTS: Forty-two adult female participants (+FFH: n = 20; -FFH: n = 22) are included in this analysis (age: +FHH 23 ± 4 yrs, -FHH 21 ± 2 yrs, p = 0.021; body mass: +FHH 62.7 ± 9.9 kg, -FHH 61.4 ± 7.2 kg, p = 0.618; height: +FHH 164 ± 7 cm, -FHH 164 ± 7 cm, p = 0.857; resting SBP: +FHH 114 ± 11 mmHg, -FHH 106 ± 7 mmHg, p = 0.015; resting diastolic blood pressure: +FHH 77 ± 10 mmHg, -FHH 74 ± 8 mmHg, p = 0.314). LVM/BSA was greater in +FHH females (70.1 ± 12.9 g/m2, p = 0.044) compared to -FHH (63.2 ± 10.3 g/m2). FHH status was not found to be an independent predictor of LVM/BSA when covarying for resting SBP, but was independent of eSBP. FHH status did not impact eSBP (Set 5: +FHH 31 ± 14∆mmHg, -FHH 32 ± 15∆mmHg, p = 0.822) with or without covarying for LVM/BSA, or common modulators of cardiovascular function (resting SBP, age, or BMI). CONCLUSION: Normotensive young adult women with a + FHH exhibit elevated LVM/BSA, but not increased eSBP to dynamic resistance exercise.