By Jimmy Downs

Saturday Oct 20, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Physical exercise is known to reduce blood pressure, but a new study in Arq Bras Cardiol. suggests that aerobic training does not lower blood pressure in menopausal women with metabolic syndrome.

A.H. LIma of Universidade Federal da Paraíba in João Pessoa, PB, Brasil and colleagues conducted the study and found an aerobic training program did decrease abdominal fat, blood glucose and improved VO2 max, but did not lower blood pressure in menopausal women with metabolic syndrome.

A total of 44 women with metabolic syndrome were divided into four groups based on their menopausal status (menopausal or not) and aerobic training status (engaged or not).  Women in exercise groups performed aerobic training for three months, five times per week at an intensity between 60 to 70 percent of heart rate reserve.  Both resting blood pressure and blood pressure response after 60 minutes of aerobic training were measured before and after the training program.

The researchers found the aerobic training program did not change systolic blood pressure  and diastolic blood pressure in any of the four groups of women with metabolic syndrome.