Effect of Combined Training on the Hypertensive Elderly Quality of Life

Abstract

One of the most prevalent diseases in the elderly is hypertension, which even when controlled, can also affect the quality of life (QoL) of this population. Habits such as regular exercise can reduce blood pressure at rest, during physical effort and provide other benefits to hypertensive individuals. Resistance and aerobic training, promote complementary health benefits that indirectly increases elderly QoL, being the main ones the increases in strength and aerobic fitness, respectively. Although combined training (CT) (resistance plus aerobic exercises) is recommended for the health of the elderly and hypertensive, but the specifical effect of QoL pattern on hypertensive population is uncertain. Therefore, WHOQOL-bref questionary (containing 26 subjective issues, divided into four domains-physical, psychological, social and environmental) was applied to assess the profile of each individual QoL, pre and post-CT or control period (without exercise). Sexteen weeks of CT increased, the physical and environmental domains of QoL, as well as the total QoL scores different of control group (CG); leading us to conclude it is effective therapy for hipertensive eldelry, therefore we conclude with the present study that the CT protocol for 16-weeks was able to improve the QoL scores.