The effect of short-term aerobic exercise on the blood pressure in elderly clients with hypertension

Background and Objective: Hypertension is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease in elderly. This study aimed to determine the effect of short-term aerobic exercise on blood pressure in elderly with hypertension. Materials and Method: In this clinical- trial controlled study, 92 elderly clients with the age of 65-75 years were selected in Shiraz city, Iran, in 2011, according to inclusion criteria of study and divided into two equal groups of control and intervention. The intervention consisted of 4-week walking periods, three times in one week, each time 20-30 minutes. Data were collected using calibrated mercury sphygmomanometer. The Reliability of mercury sphygmomanometer was confirmed by intra-rater consistency. The data were analyzed using paired and independent t test via SPSS 16 software. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in means of systolic and diastolic blood pressures before intervention. After the intervention, mean of systolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 149.88 ± 4.16 to 144.93 ± 5.21 (P = 0.004) and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 94.03 ± 3.16 to 85.9 ± 6.38 (P = 0.030) in intervention group but there was no significant change in control group. Conclusion: The findings showed that walking is an effective nursing intervention for reducing blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension.