Endurance Running Ability at Adolescence as a Predictor of Blood Pressure Levels and Hypertension in Men: a 25-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

The aim was to study whether aerobic fitness measured by a maximal endurance running test at adolescence predicts prevalence of hypertension or blood pressure levels in adulthood. From the 413 (197 slow runners and 216 fast runners) participating in a 2000-meter running test at adolescence in 1976 and responding to a health and fitness questionnaire in 2001, 29 subjects (15 very slow runners and 14 very fast runners) participated in a clinical follow-up study in 2001. Compared to those who were fast runners in adolescence, those who were slow runners tended to have higher age-adjusted risk of hypertension at follow-up (OR 2.7, 95 % CI 0.9 to 7.5; p = 0.07). The result persisted after further adjustment for body mass index at follow-up (OR 2.9, 95 % CI 1.0 to 8.3; p = 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure was higher for very slow runners at adolescence compared to very fast runners, the age-adjusted mean diastolic blood pressure being 90 mm Hg (95 % CI 86 to 93) vs. 83 mm Hg (95 % CI 80 to 87), age-adjusted p = 0.013. High endurance type fitness in adolescence predicts low risk of hypertension and low resting diastolic blood pressure levels in adult men.

Key words

Hypertension - endurance running - cohort study and clinical follow-up

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