PRE-HYPERTENSION

High blood pressure is a common medical condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension. Untreated hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems. Exercise is a promising tool in hypertension management. Regular participation in exercise improves vascular health, heart and lung function, and multisystem health. However, the direct evidence of the treatment effects of a brief period of exercise on blood pressure in individuals with hypertension is limited. A brief period of exercise refers to an exercise protocol that only lasts for a very short period of time, such as 5-10 minutes.

Pre-hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure between 120-139mmHg or diastolic blood pressure between 80-89mmHg and is considered a risk factor for developing hypertension. Early lifestyle interventions such as aerobic exercise and breathing techniques may help prevent progression to hypertension. This randomised controlled trial aims to determine the additional effects of pilates breathing and diaphragmatic breathing combined with moderate-intensity continuous treadmill training on blood pressure, chest expansion, pulmonary function and quality of life in pre-hypertensive patients. A total of 45 participants will be randomly allocated into three groups: treadmill training with pilates breathing, tredmill training with diaphragmtic brething and treadmill training alone. The intervention will be conducted for 6 weeks. Outcome measures including blood pressure, pulmonary function, chest expansion and quality of life will be assesed before and after the intervention.

Hypertension is one of the greatest public health challenges, affecting more than one billion people worldwide and representing a significant financial and public health burden. It is responsible for a high number of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes. Although pharmacological treatment is effective, non-pharmacological interventions are essential for the sustainable management of blood pressure, especially in its early stages. Respiratory exercises have shown potential in reducing blood pressure and improving cardiac vagal modulation, promoting cardiovascular health benefits. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of guided respiratory exercises using the CardioBreath app in improving vagal modulation and reducing arterial stiffness in adults with prehypertension or hypertension over six weeks. This is a randomized clinical trial involving adults with prehypertension or hypertension, divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group will use CardioBreath to perform daily breathing exercises, with weekly remote monitoring. Assessments will include heart rate variability parameters, baroreflex sensitivity, pulse wave velocity, and quality of life. It is expected that the use of the app will significantly improve vagal modulation and arterial stiffness, demonstrating the potential of this intervention for the non-pharmacological management of hypertension. The use of CardioBreath may offer an accessible and effective alternative for blood pressure control, with the potential to be integrated into public health programs focused on low-cost, highly accessible interventions for the prevention and management of hypertension.

The investigators long-term goal is to better understand novel interventions to promote cardiovascular health in humans. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate whether there is sex-specificity in the effects of dietary capsaicin on mechanisms regulating nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, its effect on key markers of cardiovascular (CV) health, including BP, macro- and microvascular function, and arterial stiffness. This knowledge will provide critical insight into the effects of dietary capsaicin on CV health and will guide future trials.