Heat Therapy Versus Exercise Training in Hypertension

Not Applicable

Completed

Brief Summary: This is a clinical trial to determine whether 30 sessions of heat therapy in the form of hot water immersion is better than 30 sessions of traditional aerobic exercise training on blood pressure reduction in people with elevated or Stage 1 hypertension.

Detailed Description: Hypertension accounts for more cardiovascular disease related deaths than any other modifiable risk factor. While exercise training can be effective at reducing blood pressure in some individuals, many people do not respond to exercise training, and many more are unwilling to undergo regular exercise training. Alternative options need to be explored. This is a clinical trial to determine whether 30 sessions of heat therapy in the form of hot water immersion is better than 30 sessions of traditional aerobic exercise training on blood pressure reduction in people with elevated blood pressure (hypertension). The investigators will evaluate known biomarkers of cardiovascular health. It is hypothesized that heat therapy will be superior to exercise training on blood pressure reduction.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Systolic Blood Pressure 120 mmHg or greater and less than 180 mmHg or Diastolic Blood Pressure of 80mmHg or greater and less than 120mmHg

Exclusion Criteria

Secondary hypertension; diagnosed cardiovascular disease other than hypertension; taking anti-hypertensive drugs; BMI of 35 or greater; fasting glucose greater than 125 mg/dl; women who are pregnant, nursing, or desiring to become pregnant.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Blood Pressure Reduction: Change in Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure (mmHg) After 30 Sessions of Intervention	10 weeks	Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) was measured at baseline (PRE) and after 30 heat therapy or exercise training sessions (POST) over the course of 8-10 weeks. Two individuals performed post-intervention testing after completing only 27 sessions (1 in each group). Participants arrived at the lab and were fitted with an oscillometric blood pressure cuff attached to an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. The monitor was programmed to inflate and assess blood pressure every 20 min during self-reported waking hours and every 60 min during self-reported sleeping hours. Waking and sleeping times and measurement frequency were replicated at POST within each participant. Ambulatory blood pressure data were analyzed as 24-h total for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Change was calculated as the value at the POST timepoint minus the value at the PRE timepoint.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Arterial Stiffness: Change in Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (m/s) From Pre (Baseline) to Post (After 30 Sessions of Intervention)	10 weeks	Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (m/s) was measured as a marker of arterial stiffness using a pressure transducing tonometer over the carotid artery and an inflated leg cuff to detect the femoral artery pulse waveform using air displacement at baseline (PRE) and after 30 heat therapy or exercise training sessions (POST) over the course of 8-10 weeks. Two individuals performed post-intervention testing after completing only 27 sessions (1 in each group). Change was calculated as the value at the POST timepoint minus the value at the PRE timepoint.