A survey conducted by scientists at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Ribeirão Preto showed that associating aerobic exercise with the use of the drug losartan, for high blood pressure, increase heart benefits in men.
Scientists have shown that physical activity increases heart rate in patients with high blood pressure.
Pulse variables describe the oscillations in the interval between consecutive pulses. A large variation means a good adaptability of the body, that is, it is seen in healthy people. A low variation indicates the opposite – and it appears in people with high blood pressure.
“The more variable the system, the more it adapts to change. This shows a more effective ability to adapt,” explains Hugo Celso Dutra de Souza, former author of the research and professor at the USP School of Medicine in Ribeirão Preto, for g1.
This is important because high blood pressure is not only related to high blood pressure in the vessels, but with a number of problems in the cardiovascular system – one of them is precisely this pulse variation.
Losartan is effective in reducing this pressure, but even with its use, frequency variation remains low. In the study, when people who were hypertensive and taking losartan started exercising, the variation increased.
“In addition to reducing the pressure, the frequency regulation is getting better [com o exercício físico] – gets closer to normal. It does not resolve, but removes the comorbidities that may accompany it. High blood pressure is a major cause of heart failure – the leading cause of early death. ”
The research, published in Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, gathered 32 volunteers, all male and aged 40 to 60 years. Half of them did not have high blood pressure and were not taking any medication, and the other half were hypertensive and took losartan.
Both groups walked 45 minutes three times a week for 16 weeks (about 4 months).
Losartan alone could lower blood pressure – bring it back to normal – but without exercise, autonomous heart control – among other things, rate variation – remains disabled.
“Pulse variability is not well restored with drugs alone. Reducing unnecessary and essential blood pressure, but medication alone is not enough. Exercise completes the effect,” reinforces Hugo Celso de Souza Agência FAPESP.
Scientists are also working on a paper comparing losartan and enalapril maleate to show the differences, the agency said.
“Exercise is important, and is seen as a kind of magic pill. However, we need to understand what it actually does to the body so that, who knows, in the future, we can try to simulate its effects in pharmacy.” , Souza recalled.
A separate study, with women, is also being done – because ovarian hormones interfere with cardiovascular function.
“In rats, we remove the ovaries and automatically increase, in weeks, the amount of fibrosis in the heart. It’s not just these ovarian hormones that control the structure of the heart. [como] they also participate in the regulation of hemodynamics as a whole; has a fundamental influence “, explained the researcher g1.
“It makes sense, because women of reproductive age are ‘protected’ by ovarian hormones – so much so that, before menopause, there are more men with cardiovascular disease than women. After menopause, women. [não só] tied up as well as exceeding the number of people with heart disease – due to hormones, “he said.