Influence of Age and Regular Exercise on Blood Pressure in Female Subjects: A Descriptive Study

Background and Aim: A sedentary lifestyle is a major contributor to disease, disability, and death. Many studies have found that leading a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of hypertension and pre-hypertension. The frequency of coronary heart disease was five times more in light workers compared to heavy workers. A combination of improper diet, lack of physical activity cause premature coronary heart disease. Inactivity can reduce life expectancy not only by predisposing to age-related diseases, but it can also affect the ageing process through oxidative stress. Because sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for hypertension development, the current study was designed to determine the effect of sedentary lifestyle and age on blood pressure.

Methods: From the general population of Gadag, 100 healthy sedentary and 100 non-sedentary female subjects aged 25-55 years were chosen at random. Subjects were divided into three age groups for analysis based on their age. After 30 minutes of physical and mental relaxation, blood pressure was measured using an auscultatory method with a mercury sphygmomanometer in the supine position in the right upper limb. Three readings were taken at 15-minute intervals, and the average of the three values was calculated and compared among three groups.

Results: Sedentary subjects in all three groups had a statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure when compared to non-sedentary subjects. Sedentary subjects' diastolic blood pressure was shown to be higher in all three groups, but statistically significant increases were detected in groups two and three.