Abstract
PURPOSE: Physical exercise is an important tool to improve health or to treat many not communicable chronic diseases. The purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of a fast walking program in order to reduce the common cardiovascular risk factor in a group of hypertensive-overweight patients. METHODS: Twenty sedentary hypertensive and overweight patients (10 female and 10 male, aged 59.3± 7.1, height 163.5±10.0 cm, no beta blockers in drug therapy) were enrolled. 6 Minute Walking Test (6MWT) is easy to administer and more reflective of activities of daily living than the other walk tests. Bio impedance (BIA) is a method for hydration and body cellular assessment. At the beginning (T0) and after 3 months (T3) of exercise program 6MWT and BIA (Akern - Italy) were carried. Subjects were submitted to an individual home based exercise training consisting in fast walking at moderate effort: exercise increase gradually from thirty minutes-three times a week in the first month up to forty minutes-four times a week. Data before at T0 and aT3 were compared (t-test for paired data). RESULTS: Anthropometrics parameters: reduction in body weight (T0: 77.9±16.6, T3: 76.2±15.8 kg; p<0.001) and BMI (T0: 29.2±6.8, T3: 27.4±4.4 kg/m2; p<0.001). BIA: improvement for phase angle (T0: 6.0±0.7; T3: 6.5±0.7°; p<0.05), resting metabolic rate (T0: 1578.3±182.4, T3: 1616.7±172.7 kcal; p<0.05), intracellular water (T0: 21.7±4.6, T3: 22.8±4.4 L; p<0.05) and body cellular mass (T0: 28.6±6.3, T3: 29.8±6.0 kg; p<0.05). 6 MWT: longer distance covered (T0: 567.3±66.7, T3: 599.1±81.4 m; p<0.05) and lower diastolic blood pressure immediately after 6MWT (T0: 75.3±7.8, T3: 70.9±5.8 mmhg; p<0.05). No significant differences were found in Peak Heart Rate, Peak Respiratory Rate, Systolic Blood Pressure and Self Perception of Effort. CONCLUSIONS: A short period of regular aerobic exercise is suggestive for an early improvement for anthropometrics and functional parameters. Moderate aerobic exercise seems to be able to reduce the common cardiovascular risk factor in hypertensive-overweight subjects. 6 MWT and BIA seem to be sensitive tests for the assessment in this population.
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