# HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXERCISE IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVES

> **NIH NIH R01** · SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY · 1991 · $388,404

## Abstract

Aging is associated with increasing degrees of both physical and
psychological impairment and lowered quality of life.  One of the most
significant causes of disability and premature death in our rapidly growing
elderly population is hypertension, commonly treated with medications that
can lower quality of life and may elevate coronary risk.  A growing body of
epidemiologic and experimental evidence supports the notion that
hypertension may be more a modifiable result of disuse than an irreversible
aging process, given that:

        1) Blood pressure and physical activity levels are
 inversely related.
        2) Only 3% to 28% of the elderly engage in regular
 physical activity.
        3) Aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure (BP) in
 middle-aged mild hypertensives.
        4) It is not known if the physical activities must be of
 aerobic intensity to lower BP.

The present study is designed to evaluate the long-term effects of two
intensity levels of exercise in physically inactive, older medicated mild
hypertensives.  In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, 150 sedentary men
and women, aged 65-85, with mild hypertension will be recruited and
randomized to one of three groups:  (1) Activity Control, (2) Programmed
Aerobic Exercise, and (3) Routine Physical Activities.  Treatment will
consist of six months of three sessions per week of (1) stretching and
minimal physical activities, (2) laboratory-based aerobic
walking/jogging/biking, or (3) low intensity, (but isocaloric to aerobic
exercise) routine walking and physical activity.  Dependent measures
obtained at baseline, post-treatment, and 6 and 18 month followup, will
include BP and quality of life, fitness, diet, weight/fat, medication use,
lipide, urinary electrolytes, depressive symptoms, anxiety and physical
activity/exercise adherence.

The present project is significant because it will provide the first long-
term controlled evaluation of the effects of aerobic exercise vs. low level
routine physical activities on BP and quality of life in older
hypertensives, while answering the critical question of whether it is the
physical activity induced caloric expenditure or the aerobic training
effect that accounts for BP reduction to exercise.  This study will also
provide the first long-term data on the relative effectiveness of two
contrasting methods of shaping and maintaining exercise behavior and
fitness in elderly patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3120115
- **Project number:** 5R01AG008476-02
- **Recipient organization:** SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** H59JKGFZKHL7
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN E MARTIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $388,404
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1990-05-01 → 1994-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3120115

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3120115, HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXERCISE IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVES (5R01AG008476-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3120115. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*