Usefulness of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in former athletes and exercise practitioners
Keywords:
Risk factors; Blood pressure monitoring, ambulatory; arterial hypertension; Cardiovascular riskAbstract
Introduction: Former athletes and those who exercise regularly generally have a favorable cardiovascular profile, although they may exhibit masked hypertension or abnormal blood pressure patterns. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring offers a more accurate assessment than conventional clinical measurements. Objective: To evaluate the effects of physical exercise on blood pressure using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in former athletes and physical activity practitioners with a history of arterial hypertension. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out from January to December 2023 with 76 former athletes and practitioners of hypertensive exercises. Ambulatory blood pressure was measured by 24-hour monitoring and in office. The effect of risk factors on blood pressure control was evaluated using non-parametric tests and odds ratio. Results: 80.3% of patients had controlled blood pressure. The ambulatory measurement of these values had lower results than those of office. Smoking was the most frequent cardiovascular risk factor with a 27.6% and the only one significantly associated with uncontrolled blood pressure. Conclusions: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed that regular physical exercise significantly contributes to blood pressure control in former athletes and those who engage in physical activity. In this population, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was low.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Agustín Paramio Rodríguez, Myder Hernández Navas, Emérito Pérez Acosta, Cesia Rivera Garmendia
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