Making exercise safe in humans with hypertension
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Making exercise safe in humans with hypertension
IRAS ID
193217
Contact name
Emma Hart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The research question that is being proposed is ‘Making exercise safe in humans with hypertension’. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition, affecting one quarter of all adults in the UK. These figures are expected to increase by 2025. Exercise training is an effective component of life style alteration that has been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. There is a link between cardiovascular events during or after exercise in individuals with an exaggerated blood pressure response to that exercise bout, this larger blood pressure rise is seen more in hypertensive individuals than people with normal blood pressure. During exercise in both people with hypertension and normal blood pressure, the rise in blood pressure is mediated by a reflex called the exercise pressor reflex. This reflex is made up of two components, 1). the metaboreflex and 2). the mechanoreflex. These reflexes act to increase the activity of the nervous system to increase blood pressure and heart rate. It has been shown in previous research that these components are overactive in hypertension, leading to increased blood pressure and heart rate responses to exercise. \nThis study will involve two visits to the CRIC, Bristol. We will use both hypertensives and people with normal blood pressure. The first visit involves screening and a test of current fitness level (VO2 max test). The second visit involves two exercise protocols, one measuring the mechanoreflex and one isolating the metaboreflex. Passive cycling and handgrip will be used to measure the mechanoreflex and handgrip exercise with an occlusion cuff will be used to measure the metaboreflex. An occlusion cuff is a blood pressure monitor pumped up high on the upper arm to stop blood leaving the arm for a short period of time (2 minutes).\n
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0004
Date of REC Opinion
4 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion