Month: June 2010

Most kids with high blood pressure can safely play sports, a major group of children’s doctors says. But restrictions apply to those with the most serious problem, stage 2 high blood pressure. The new guidelines are from the American Academy of Pediatrics. They say that all children with above-normal blood pressure should exercise, improve their diet and lose weight, if needed. These steps may help to lower blood pressure. They should be all that is needed for kids who measure just below the level for diagnosing high blood pressure. This is called pre-hypertension. Children with stage 1 high blood pressure are eligible for any sport unless they have related damage in a major organ. Some sports could be dangerous for children with stage 2 high blood pressure, the guidelines say. Doctors are urged to refer these children to a specialist.

Just 10 minutes of brisk exercise can trigger metabolism changes that last an hour, new research finds. But people who exercise more than that — those who are fit — get the most benefit even from brief activity. The study included 70 healthy adults. They were put on a treadmill for 10 minutes. Researchers took blood samples before and right after the workouts, and one hour later. The brief exercise changed blood levels of substances involved in metabolism. The body produces these “metabolites” as it burns food for energy. Some of the changes were still apparent in the blood an hour after exercise. Thinner people had higher levels of niacinamide, which is involved in blood sugar control. A substance involved in fat burning was higher in fit people. This suggested they were burning more fat from the same amount of exercise.

Not exercising as a young adult increases the risk of high blood pressure in later years, new research finds. The study kept track of 4,618 men and women for 20 years. At the start of the study, they were 18 to 30 years old. They completed a treadmill test and a questionnaire about their exercise habits. Researchers examined them again 6 times in the next 20 years. About 1,000 people developed high blood pressure. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for factors that raise high blood pressure risk, such as smoking. They found that people’s early exercise habits still were a good predictor of risk. People who were inactive or not fit as young adults were more likely to develop high blood pressure. Researchers estimated that more physical fitness could prevent 1 out of 3 cases of high blood pressure. The study appeared in the journal Hypertension.