Comparing the effects of different exercises on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis


Author: Wen-Sheng Zhou1, Ting-Ting Zheng1, Su-Jie Mao2, Hong Xu3, Xue-Feng Wang1, Shi-Kun Zhang4

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> College of Physical Education, Nanjing Xiao-Zhuang University, Nanjing, China.

<sup>2</sup> College of Physical Education, Nanjing Xiao-Zhuang University, Nanjing, China; Graduate School, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China.

<sup>3</sup> Department of Sport & Health Science, College of Natural Science, Sangmyung University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

<sup>4</sup> Department of Police Physical Education, Jiangsu Police Institute, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: zhangstruggle@163.com.
Conference/Journal: Exp Gerontol
Date published: 2022 Oct 27
Other:
 Volume ID: 171   ,  Pages: 111990   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111990.   ,  Word Count: 266  
    The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of different exercises on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in postmenopausal women. We searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane library databases, up to July 2022. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected following the inclusion criteria. We assessed study quality with the PEDro scale. The Stata software was used for statistical analysis. Twenty-three papers (26 RCTs) and 729 participants were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated that exercise decreased SBP (WMD = -6.74 mmHg, 95%CI: -9.08, -4.41, p = 0.000), DBP (WMD = -4.13 mmHg, 95%CI: -5.78, -2.48, p = 0.000) and aortic PWV (WMD = -0.79 m/s, 95%CI: -1.02, -0.56, p = 0.000). Aerobic exercise can significantly decrease SBP (WMD = -7.97 mmHg, 95%CI: -12.99, -2.60, p = 0.003) and DBP (WMD = -5.97 mmHg, 95%CI: -8.55, -3.39, p = 0.000). Resistance exercise can significantly decrease SBP (WMD = -5.62 mmHg, 95%CI: -9.00, -2.23, p = 0.001), DBP (WMD = -1.87 mmHg, 95%CI: -2.75, -0.99, p = 0.000) and aortic PWV (WMD = -0.67 m/s，95%CI: -0.98, -0.36, p = 0.000). Combined aerobic and resistance exercise can significantly decrease SBP (WMD = -5.42 mmHg, 95%CI: -10.17, -0.68, p = 0.025). The efficacy of mind-body exercise (Tai Chi/Yoga) on SBP, DBP, and aortic PWV were not obvious (p > 0.05). Exercise significantly improved SBP, DBP, and aortic PWV in postmenopausal women. Aerobic exercise decreased SBP and DBP. Resistance exercise decreased SBP, DBP, and aortic PWV. Additionally, further research is required to confirm the efficacy of mind-body exercise (Tai Chi/Yoga) on blood pressure and arterial stiffness.



Keywords: Cardiovascular health; Hypertension; Middle-aged and elderly women; Physical activity; meta-analysis.



PMID: 36397637 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111990