A systematic review and meta-analysis found that exercise interventions significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in pediatric and adolescent patients with overweight.
In a study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, investigators reviewed data from 32 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2,173 participants. The investigators reported a mean reduction of 3.43 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 2.43 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following exercise interventions.
Programs that lasted more than 12 weeks were associated with greater blood pressure reductions compared with shorter interventions. Both moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) produced favorable outcomes. However, no clear superiority of either modality was established.
Male participants showed slightly greater blood pressure reductions compared with female participants, although the difference was not statistically significant. Longer exercise sessions (greater than 60 minutes) and higher weekly frequencies correlated with improved outcomes.
"Optimal lifestyles, including regular exercise, play a crucial role in managing childhood obesity. A growing body of epidemiologic studies has highlighted the cardiovascular benefits of physical exercise such as reducing BP," wrote lead study author Jiali Zhou, MPH, of the Center for Clinical Big Data and Statistics of the Second Affiliated Hospital and the School of Public Health at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and colleagues. "The latest [World Health Organiation] guideline on physical activity in 2020 recommends that children and adolescents engage in an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily to maintain optimal health," they added.
While the study synthesized data from numerous trials, limitations included variability in exercise protocols and a lack of long-term follow-up data. Future research is recommended to further explore optimal exercise modalities and their sustained effects on BP.
The authors reported no specific funding or conflicts of interest related to this study.
