prehypertension

Prehypertension is the precursor to hypertension. It’s anticipated that prehypertension will affect one-third of the population worldwide by 2025. For instance, Homa Bay County Hospital has reported increase of pre-hypertensive patients over the past 5 years. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of prescribed low-intensity resistance exercise on prehypertension and other related factors in individuals living within Homa Bay Township. A randomized controlled trial study design was employed on 34 (17 experimental and 17 controls) pre-hypertensive adults. Participants performed prescribed low-intensity resistance exercise for a period of 3 months. Blood pressure, biochemical, and anthropometric data were collected on pre, mid, and post-training. ANOVA with a within-subjects factor of time, and treatment type was used to determine the differences between the two groups. Except for BMI [F (1, 32) =8.06, p=0.008], the study found that the prescribed low-intensity resistance exercise did not affect other anthropometric measurement of pre-hypertensive individuals. Prescribed low-intensity resistance exercises significantly, F (1, 32) =5.01, p=0.03, lowered the pre-hypertensive pressure in the experimental group to normotensive at post-study (from 127.59+5.01 to 115.88+6.06 mmHg systolic pressure) as compared to the control group (from 128.94+4.64 to 122.47+2.87 mmHg systolic pressure). Although lipid profiles and fasting blood glucose decreased in both experimental and control groups, the decline was more marked in the experimental group, suggesting that prescribed low-intensity exercise could decrease the variables. This study provides evidence that prescribed low-intensity resistance exercises prescription in prehypertension can prevent progression to hypertension.