Active Kids Avoid Hypertension
Plenty of Activity Helps Children Maintain Blood Pressure
A study published by the American Heart Association proves the benefits of childhood exercise by showing active kids have lower blood pressure.
A recent study shows that children with hypertension are better able to lower their blood pressure through more exercise, rather than higher intensity exercise.
The study, published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association,was conducted by putting movement detectors on more than 5,500 11- and 12-year-olds for a week. The results showed that children with higher levels of total activity – denoted by 100 counts per minute on the movement detectors – was associated with lower blood pressure by nearly half a millimeter of mercury for both systolic and diastolic readings.
“Even after taking into account a number of possible confounding factors, such as social class and maternal health, associations between physical activity and blood pressure weakened but remained,” said study author Sam Leary, PhD. in an AHA press release. If these associations translate into those of similar magnitude into adulthood, this could be of public health significance.”
Leary's research – part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – observed the activity levels of children at a research clinic in Bristol, United Kingdom, through an accelerometer/movement detector worn around the children's waists. The study found the lowest blood pressure readings in children who experienced 15 minutes a day of moderate- to vigorous activity. Total physical activity included all activities at all intensities as average counts per minute. When the children experienced more than 3,600 counts on the accelerometer per minute, these occurrences were designated as moderate- to high intensity exercise.
Though the cardiovascular benefits of exercise have been proven in adults, the correlation between exercise and childhood blood pressure is less established; with many pediatric studies relying on self-reported data from questionnaires.
Mechanical techniques such as accelerometers can offer more accurate measures of activity in children, Leary said. “Therefore, our study provides invaluable data. In addition to its large size, it is one of the few to use accelerometers and the first to our knowledge to compare the volume and intensity of activity with respect to associations with blood pressure in childhood.”
“Any activity other than lying or sitting contributes to the total volume of activity so if, for example, children chose to walk to and from school instead of riding in a car, their overall level of physical activity would increase,” Leary said. “Moderate to vigorous activity includes anything where you work up a sweat, such as fast walking, running or jogging.”
A previous study (Lancet - 1990;335:765-774) in adults showed that a reduction of 5 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure was associated with a decrease of at least 34 percent for stroke and 21 percent in coronary heart disease.
Leary said. “Our study findings suggest that encouraging children to increase their levels of physical activity may help reduce their current blood pressure. The higher levels of physical activity likely will track into adulthood and be associated with a lower adult blood pressure and thus contribute to a reduction in cardiovascular risk.”
