Net Blood Pressure Reduction Following 9 Months of Lifestyle and High‐Intensity Interval Training Intervention in Individuals With Abdominal Obesity

The authors aimed to study the impact of a combined 9‐month lifestyle program (Mediterranean diet nutritional counselling, and high‐intensity interval training twice a week) on blood pressure ( BP ) in individuals with abdominal obesity, taking into account the regression‐to‐the‐mean phenomena. A total of 115 participants (53±9 years; 84 women; waist circumference [ WC ]: 111±13 cm; systolic/diastolic BP [ SBP / DBP ]: 133±13/82±8 mm Hg; 13% diabetics; 12% smokers; and 30% taking antihypertensive therapy) were retrospectively analyzed before and after the program. After 9 months, we observed an improvement in weight (−5.2±5.6 kg) and WC (−6.3±6.0 cm), and an average SBP / DBP net decrease of −5.1±13.7/−2.8±8.7 mm Hg. These changes were not uniform: 67 participants (58%) decreased their SBP by 2 mm Hg or more. The characteristics of responders included a higher baseline BP than nonresponders ( SBP / DBP : 137.2±13.7/83.1±7.3 mm Hg vs 127.0±10.3/80.0±7.3 mm Hg, P <.05) and a higher proportion of participants with a baseline BP ≥130/85 mm Hg (81% vs 52%, P =.001) or with the metabolic syndrome (75% vs 54%, P =.02).