Exercise Helps Prevent High BP Even in Areas of High Air Pollution

MONDAY, July 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Regular physical activity (PA) still provides benefit against hypertension even in areas of high air pollution, according to a study published online July 20 in Circulation.

Cui Guo, Ph.D., from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and colleagues examined data from 140,072 adults (mean age, 41.7 years; 48.8 percent male) without hypertension at baseline who underwent routine medical examinations between 2001 and 2016. A satellite data-based spatiotemporal model was used to estimate fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure.

The researchers found that the mean values for systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 112.5 and 68.7 mm Hg, respectively. More than one-third of participants (34.2 percent) reported being inactive, while 29.8 percent reported moderate PA and 36.0 percent reported high PA. The mean level of PM_2.5 was 26.1 µg/m³. When adjusting for factors (including a mutual adjustment for PA or PM_2.5), a higher PA level was associated with a lower risk for hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] for moderate PA, 0.93 [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 0.89 to 0.97]; HR for high PA, 0.92 [95 percent CI, 0.88 to 0.96]) versus those who were inactive. A higher level of PM_2.5 was associated with a higher risk for hypertension (HR for moderate PM_2.5, 1.37 [95 percent CI, 1.32 to 1.43]; HR for high PM_2.5, 1.92 [95 percent CI, 1.81 to 2.04]) versus the low-PM_2.5 group. There was no significant interaction noted between PA and PM_2.5 (HR, 1.01; 95 percent CI, 1.00 to 1.02).

“Our results indicated that PA is a suitable hypertension prevention strategy for people residing in relatively polluted regions,” the authors write.

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