Characteristics of the athlete's heart in aged hypertensive and normotensive subjects.

Background: Both hypertension and age-related impairment of the cardiac condition are known to be improved by regular physical training. As relatively few studies have been reported about the older, hypertensive patients, the aim of this study was to establish cardiac benefits of active lifestyle in these subjects.

Methods: Two-dimensionally guided M-mode, Doppler- and tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed in 199 normo- and hypertensive, active and sedentary older (age >60 years) men (N.