OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy of isometric handgrip exercise for reducing resting SBP and DBP in adult humans. METHODS Meta-analysis of studies retrieved from five electronic databases as well as cross-referencing from identified articles. The criteria for inclusion were randomized controlled trials published in any language over an approximate 38-year period (1 January 1971 to 1 February...

The purpose of the study was to determine the interactive effect of aging and forearm muscle heating on renal vascular conductance and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) during ischemic isometric handgrip. A tube-lined, water-perfused sleeve was used to heat the forearm in 12 young (27 +/- 1 yr) and 9 older (63 +/- 1 yr) subjects. Ischemic isometric handgrip was performed before and after...

PURPOSE Vascular reactivity is involved in the regulation of vascular function either in normal conditions or in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. We tested the hypothesis that vascular reactivity evaluated by forearm blood flow may vary according to demographic and metabolic variables in a cohort of individuals without any evidence of heart disease after clinical examination. S...

We investigated the relation between pressor responses to laboratory stressors and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) variability or left ventricular mass. Mental arithmetic tests, isometric hand grip exercise, and bicycle ergometer exercise were carried out in middle-aged normotensive subjects (n =10) and in agematched WHO stage I (n = 23) and stage II (n =11) patients with essential hypertension. Me...

Impact of Resistance Training on Blood Pressure: Are All Contractions Created Equal? To the Editor: We read with interest the updated meta-analysis by Cornelissen et al, examining the effects of resistance training (RT) on blood pressure (BP). The results demonstrated a class distinction, with isometric RT producing larger reductions in resting BP than dynamic RT. Because our study on the effec...

Haemodynamic responses to sustained isometric exercise (handgrip at 30% of maximum voluntary capacity) were studied in 10 patients with Chagas's cardiopathy without previous or current heart failure. Five of the patients (group 1) had profound impairment of parasympathetic control of heart rate. They had no tachycardia in response to intravenous administration of atropine and no bradycardia dur...

PURPOSE To establish a suitable setup for combining isometric handgrip exercise with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and to assess cardiovascular effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-three healthy volunteers (31 males, mean age 45 ± 17 years) underwent handgrip exercise in a 3T scanner using a prototype handgrip system and a custom-made feedback system that displayed the force...