Resistance Training, Blood Pressure, and Meta-Analyses

Abstract

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent meta-analysis by Cornelissen et al1 evaluating the impact of resistance training on blood pressure. This is an area that certainly needs a great deal of clarification, and the finding that dynamic and isometric resistance training results in a decrease of 3.9/3.9 mm Hg in normotensive/prehypertensive participants and a 4.1/1.5-mm Hg decrease in hypertensives provides a useful synthesis of the existent literature. However, we feel there are some methodological issues that need to be considered when interpreting these data. First, the authors have included articles for which blood pressure was not the primary outcome of interest. Although the inclusion of such secondary data certainly helps to provide as full a picture as possible, it does have the possibility to influence the effect estimates …