Study: Blood Pressure Rises Later in Fit Men

Fit men tend to develop rising blood pressure nearly a decade later than those who are less fit, a study finds. The new research is based on data from a long-term health study. It included nearly 14,000 men. They received treadmill tests to measure fitness levels. On average, they received physical exams 4 times in up to 30 years of follow-up. Men in this study did not have a history of heart attack, stroke or cancer. Men who had high blood pressure or developed it during the study also were excluded. Instead of high blood pressure, the study looked at when men developed pre-hypertension. This is above-normal blood pressure, but not high enough for a diagnosis of high blood pressure. The average man with a low fitness level developed a systolic blood pressure of 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) at age 46. This is the threshold for prehypertension.