Frequency of leisure-time physical activity and pulse pressure in the Brazilian population: a population-based study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the frequency of leisure-time physical activity and brachial pulse pressure (PP), according to physical activity intensity and type, sex, and age, in the general Brazilian population.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study based on data from the Brazilian 2013 National Health Survey.

Methods: The sample consisted of 20,058 men and 20,600 women aged between 18 and 65 years. The frequency of leisure-time physical activity was obtained through a questionnaire and classified according to intensity (vigorous or moderate) and type (cyclic or acyclic). We calculated PP as the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures based on the measure of a digital pressure device. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to analyze the association of different sexes, frequency, type, and intensity of leisure-time physical activity and PP.

Results: Adjusted results showed that one session of moderate physical activity per week could benefit men's PP: β = -1.87 mmHg; SE = 0.83. For women, the adjusted model reveals that physical activity undertaken twice a week is sufficient to benefit PP: β = -1.77 mmHg; SE = 0.72. However, according to type, two times a week of acyclic activities increased PP in men: β = 2.62 mmHg; SE = 0.62 and decreased in women: β = -2.67 mmHg; SE = 0.72.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that low frequencies of leisure-time physical activity are sufficient to induce beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system for both sexes. Also, there are some differences between sexes in cardiac adaptations according to type, frequency, and intensity of physical activity.