Exaggerated blood pressure response at exercise in normotensive subjects: Demographic and stress performance characteristics

Background: Exercise testing is an important diagnostic and prognostic procedure in the assessment of patients with hypertension. An exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise among normotensive subjects was found to be one of the best predictors of future hypertension. The demographic characteristics of patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response during exercise have not been adequately described. Methods and Results: The demographic and stress performance characteristics of 2 groups of normotensive patients referred for exercise testing, one composed of patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response (group I, n = 146) and a group of patients with a normal blood pressure response (group II, n = 439) were prospectively compared. Patients in group I were older than those in group II (54 ± 12 vs 51 ± 13 years, P < .05). More men than women were found in both groups, yet significantly more in group I than in group II (83% vs 69% P < .001). Significantly more among the patients in group I had a higher level of education and were of Western origin than those in group II (P < .01). The resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in group I than in group II (131 ± 18 vs 119 ± 14 mm Hg, P < .001, and 81 ± 8 vs 76 ± 7 mm Hg, P < .001, respectively). The patients in group I achieved a higher percentage of the maximal predicted heart rate (88 ± 7 vs 85 ± 9 beats/min, P < .01). No significant differences were found between the groups in the duration of stress test and effort ischemia. Conclusions: Patients with a hypertensive blood pressure response during stress testing have specific demographic and exercise characteristics.