Is Ambulatory Blood Pressure a Good Predictor of The Blood Pressure Response to Moderate-Intensity Exercise?

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) has been the leading cause of death in the United States since the 1920s. One of the most prominent precursors of CVD is high blood pressure (hypertension), which is commonly diagnosed by using the gold standard method of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). However, ABPM isn’t controlled throughout the day and is not very reproducible. Recently exercise systolic blood pressure (ExSBP) has received more attention since it is highly regulated and accurately represents cardiovascular strain during tasks of daily living. Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether ambulatory blood pressure could act as accurate predictors of blood pressure during moderate-intensity exercise. Methods: A total of 18 subjects (18-65 years old) enrolled and completed this study. AmBP was measured for 24 hours, and resting BP was conducted following AHA guidelines. ExSBP was assessed at four stages (2.5 mph at 0% grade, 2.5 mph at 12% grade, and at 80% and 120% of an individual’s predetermined lactate threshold) during 5 minutes of treadmill walking. Pearson correlation and repeated measures ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between Ambulatory Systolic Blood Pressure (AmSBP) and ExSBP. Results: The mean AmSBP for the 18 subjects matched the mean SBP during the 2.5mph at 0% grade very closely (130.12 and 129.794 mmHg, respectively, P = 0.921). However, all other ExSBP were significantly greater than AmSBP or the resting BP (P>0.05). AmBP was unrelated to any measure of ExSBP (P>0.171). Conclusions: ExSBP cannot be accurately predicted based upon ambulatory measurements alone.