The Role of Exercise in the Control of Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients in Zaria

Abstract

The prevalence of hypertension is on the increase globally, being higher in females than males. Aerobic exercises have been reported to be beneficial in bringing down high blood pressure significantly in most patients, especially in those with mild and moderate hypertension. This study was to evaluate the role of exercise in the control of blood pressure in hypertensive patients as seen in the cardiac clinic in Zaria, Nigeria. A sample size of 288 patients attending cardiac clinic in ABU Teaching Hospital, Zaria, was selected randomly. The instruments for data collection were records from case files of patients and self-constructed-administered-17-item questionnaire. The mean age of the hypertensive patients was 42.6 years and ranged from 16-65 years. . Most of the hypertensive patients were females (62.5%), business people (60.8%), and married (69.4%). Majority (73.3%) of them have been diagnosed for over six years. Many of the patients (n = 126) adhered to planned exercises as a non-pharmacological control of their high blood pressure in addition to prescribed anti-hypertensive drugs. Some of these patients experienced decrease in blood pressure and associated this with the exercise regimen. Gender and occupations of patients appear to influence involvement in exercises. Findings show that exercises is a contributor to the management of high blood pressure with often silent advantages of reduced cost of treatment and fewer drug-related side effects. Occupation and age of hypertensive patients strongly correlate with adherence to exercise regimen. Control of hypertension should therefore be emphasizing more planned exercise programme as adjunct component of high blood pressure management.