Diastolic Blood Pressure Response During Non-isometric Exercise and Its Relationship with Family History of Hypertension

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find an association (if any) between isolated diastolic blood pressure response to non - isometric exercise and family history of hypertension. Diastolic blood pressure response (DBPR) of 32 apparently healthy young adults (aged 18 - 30 years) were noted during 10 minutes of cycling on a bicycle ergometer and during their recovery after exercise and their family history of hypertension were recorded by a separate observer.4 sets of data were rejected due to faulty technique and rest 28 sets of data were checked for association by a 2 by 2 contingency table and by performing Chi - Square test.17 subjects showed normal DBPR, 11 of them did not have any family history of hypertension, which should be a normal occurrence. And out of 11 subjects with abnormal/exaggerated DBPR, 6 had positive family history of hypertension, which was inconclusive. The test result gave us a more than 25% chance of randomness of association between abnormal/exaggerated DBPR and family history of hypertension, which refuted the association, meaning abnormal/exaggerated DBPR to non - isometric exercise and family history of hypertension can both be predictors of future hypertension but there is no association between them.