Effects of a Four-Week Isometric Exercise Training on Blood Pressure of Hypertensive Stroke Survivors in a Tertiary Health Institution

Background: Little is known about the potency of isometric exercise for blood pressure control among hypertensive stroke survivors (HSS). Meanwhile, the isometric exercise regimen stands to be a preferable intervention for at-risk subjects even at acute phases as it could be carried out at a resting position compared to aerobic and resistance exercise regimens. Objective: This study investigated the acute effect of isometric exercise training protocol on blood pressure of hypertensive stroke survivors in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city. Methods: This study adopted the experimental research design. The sample size of 12-hypertensive stroke survivors from the neurology outpatient clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital was randomly selected from amongst the hypertensive stroke survivors who met the inclusion criteria. The participants were further randomly allotted to the experimental and control groups. The instruments employed include several measuring and timing equipment. The trial proceeded for four weeks during which a combination of unilateral isometric handgrip and unilateral isometric quadriceps exercise training was administered on the experimental group in two sessions per week. Results: Findings revealed there was no significant difference in the effect of isometric exercise training on systolic blood pressure but there was a significant difference in diastolic blood pressure parameters taken from both the right and left sides of the brachial arteries. Conclusion: The acute responses of this study support the clinical significance of isometric exercise training as a time-efficient, valuable new therapeutic adjunct, and effective training modality to reduce blood pressure and thereby assist in regulating and preventing a recurrent stroke in hypertensive stroke survivors. To confirm this, an expanded study in terms of duration was suggested to investigate the adaptation of this study.