Effect of Exercise on Various Blood Pressure Parameters in Different Groups of Body Mass Index among Young Medical Students

Developing countries are highly faced with the burden of cardiovascular diseases which places an excessive financial burden on population and health systems. Our study intends to generate relevant information that helps to understand the effect of exercise on blood pressure (BP) among young population of different body mass index (BMI). Such information helps us to prevent and control factors which are associated with abnormal BMI. This preliminary cross sectional study was conducted in the human laboratory of department of physiology, J. N. Medical College, Aligarh. The present study consist of total 50 medical student with 36 males (72%) and 14 females (28%) between the age group of 17-23 years, admitted in the first year in M.B.B.S. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by widespread using Quetlet's Index, which is body weight (in kg) divided by height (in meter). On the basis of BMI, all students were divided into three groups, underweight, normal, overweight. Three reading of their average value was recorded. Pulse pressure is calculated by deducting the diastolic BP from systolic BP. The MP (Mean pressure) was calculated by adding pulse pressure (PP) with one third of diastolic pressure. All students were undergoing exercise by 3 minute steps test. Further three reading of blood pressure were taken and their average value was recorded. The BP parameters of all students (male and females individually) among three group of BMI were compared before and after the exercise. The statistical software SPSS (version 16) was use for data analysis. We used paired student t-test between the individual groups. In our study we found that change in BP parameters after exercise were more significant in students of having normal BMI than under or overweight students. Among all BP parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP) was much affected after exercise. Mean pressure (MP) was entirely unaffected by exercise. In this study females were comparatively less affected than males. Overall we found that as exercise was done, SBP and PP was prominently affected and this significant change in BP was found in normal BMI group whereas the findings were not significant in underweight and overweight students. The mechanism of this observation will be discussed.