The Link between Activity, Excise and Blood Pressure - Research Paper Example

On the other hand, Fagard stated in this study that there is no consistent result to prove that regular physical fitness decreases the incidence of hypertension than those who are not. Others have said that diet is more effective in lowering blood pressure than dynamic aerobic training (Fagard, 205). High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, means a state of high tension in the arteries and is often addressed to as a silent killer since during its initial stage, no symptoms is reported by the individual diagnosed with hypertension, not until an irritation or damaged organ is noted that one begins to realize that consequences of high blood pressure is present (Cunha, 2011).

Cunha stated that end – organ damage such as cardiac and renal diseases, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, damage of the eye, and stroke, which are complications of high blood pressure are the end manifestations of chronic high blood pressure. Because of these, an effort to control and prevent complications of blood pressure is imperative. Method: Various strategies in searching information regarding the relationship of activity and hypertension were used in this research. These include the use of internet databases such as Google search engine, Medscape, PubMed, and Yahoo in searching for articles and e – journals. . Several studies were done on the effect of exercise to blood pressure, and different mechanisms were believed to have caused the decrease of blood pressure as a result of exercise.

Kokkinos, et al., (1995) reported in their study that the blood pressure of patients with mild to moderate hypertension was lowered with regular exercise; however, its effect to severe hypertension was not proven otherwise. However, Mirkin (2006) stated in a study that exercise per se does not decrease high blood pressure, but rather, it is through being dehydrated after hours of having exercised that the blood pressure is decreased. On the other hand, a study by Sentry Health Monitors (2011) states that during exercise, an immediate drop in blood pressure is noted because the blood flow to working muscles is tremendously increased.

Also, Sentry Health Monitors (2011) noted after exercising, cardiac output is lowered and consequently decreasing blood pressure. Also, lactic acid, which is a metabolic byproduct, remains in the bloodstream that caused the muscular blood vessels to remain in dilated manner, decreasing the blood pressure correspondingly. During exercise, an increase in body temperature is also noted causing the dilatation of skin blood vessels and lose extra heat, thus, reducing the cardiovascular blood volume.

Although Sentry Health Monitors (2011) noted that an increase in blood pressure was reported after hours of exercising, repeated sessions of exercise results to gradual resting BP decrease. Another study by Makoff and Stoppler (2008) stated that the mechanism by which blood pressure is reduced by exercise remains unclear to date. Insulin resistance and high blood insulin are reported in some studies as contributing factors to hypertension; however, in hypertensive