Exercise-induced hypertension, arterial stiffness, and cardiorespiratory fitness in runners.

Background: The relationship between arterial stiffness and cardiorespiratory fitness in long-distance runners with exercise-induced hypertension has not been established. We assessed the relationship among exercise-induced hypertension, arterial stiffness, and cardiorespiratory fitness in long-distance runners.

Methods: Middle-aged men between 40 and 60 years of age were assigned to the following groups: normal blood pressure (N.=17), exercise-induced hypertension (N.=39), and undiagnosed complex hypertension (N.=10) using the graded exercise test. Arterial stiffness was evaluated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index.

Results: The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was significantly higher in the complex hypertension group than in the normal blood pressure and exercise-induced hypertension groups (P<0.05); there was no difference in this variable between the normal blood pressure and exercise-induced hypertension groups. The complex hypertension group had a significantly higher augmentation index and augmentation index corrected by 75 beats/min than the exercise-induced hypertension and normal blood pressure groups (P<0.05), while the exercise-induced hypertension group had a higher augmentation index and augmentation index corrected by 75 beats/min than the normal blood pressure group (P<0.05). The maximal oxygen intake was negatively correlated with the peak systolic blood pressure during exercise (r=-0.267, P=0.030), pulse wave velocity (r=-0.246, P=0.048), augmentation index (r=-0.359, P=0.003), and augmentation index corrected by 75 beats/min (r=-0.369, P=0.002).

Conclusions: Given the known association of arterial stiffness with cardiovascular disease, runners with exercise-induced hypertension may have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, cardiorespiratory fitness correlated negatively with blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which would be beneficial for the vascular health of long-distance runners.