While being physically fit is beneficial in and of itself, researchers now report that people with high levels of fitness are less likely to develop high blood pressure – also referred to as hypertension – a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, examined the association of fitness with hypertension among participants undergoing treadmill stress tests to rule out ischemia as a cause of chest pain or shortness of breath.
“If you’re exercising and you’re fit, your chances of developing hypertension are much less than someone else who has the same characteristics but isn’t fit,” says Dr. Mouaz H. Al-Mallah, senior author of the study.
Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg – the first number (systolic measurement) represents peak pressure in the arteries and the second number (diastolic measurement) represents minimum pressure in the arteries. Blood pressure is considered to be high when it is greater than 140/90 mm Hg.
There are two types of hypertension. While secondary hypertension appears suddenly and is caused by underlying conditions such as kidney or thyroid problems, primary hypertension has no identifiable cause and develops gradually over the course of many years.
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David Alphonso Hector II, MD, FACP, FACC, FSCAI, FAAC 