Exercise and Vascular Function in Postmenopausal Females With Hypertension

The treatment of high blood pressure, or hypertension, is multifaceted and can include pharmacological therapies (i.e., medications) and lifestyle modifications such as physical activity. Chronotherapy, which describes timing of a treatment with your body's daily rhythms, has recently been used with hypertension medications and has been shown to be effective at lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease events. Specifically, taking medications in the evening was shown to be more effective than morning medication routines. Little information is available about the effectiveness of chronotherapy combined with exercise (i.e., planned physical activity) interventions in older adults with hypertension. The purpose of this study is to examine how exercise performed in the morning and early evening affects blood pressure and other measures of blood vessel health in postmenopausal females with hypertension.

Inclusion Criteria:Systolic BP equal to or greater than 130 mmHg and diastolic BP equal to and greater than 80 mmHg55-80 years oldPost-menopausal femaleEarly or intermediate chronotypeAble to walk without assistanceExclusion Criteria:Habitually physically active defined as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per weekOvert pulmonary disease/condition as follows: chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or pulmonary hypertensionCardiometabolic disease/condition as follows: diabetes, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, coronary artery disease, renal disease, secondary hypertension, chronic venous insufficiency or deep vein thrombosis within last 6 monthsCancer within last 5 yearsBody mass index >39 kg/m2Current smoking or vapingEvening shift workEvening chronotype