Exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise and late-onset hypertension in young adults.

Introduction: Exaggerated blood pressure response (EBPR) during exercise has been associated with an increased risk of incidental systemic hypertension and cardiovascular morbidity; however, there is no consensus definition of EBPR. We aimed to determine which marker best defines EBPR during exercise and to predict the long-term development of hypertension in individuals younger than 50 years.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed 107 exercise tests performed in 1992, applied several reported methods to define EBPR at moderate and maximum exercise, and contacted the patients by telephone 20 years after the test to verify hypertension status.