Blood Pressure Spikes Because...

The mystery behind the cause of "exercise hypertension" may be solved,according to a study reported in the American Journal of Hypertension (April2004). Exercise hypertension is an abnormally high spike in blood pressure thathappens in normally healthy individuals when they exercise. While exercisehypertension is a known risk factor for permanent and serious high blood pressureat rest, the cause of this condition has been unclear.

The results suggested that it may be caused by the failure of endothelial cells thatline the blood vessels to allow the arteries to open wider to make room for theincreased blood flow that occurs during exercise. "Our study shows that impaired abilityof the endothelial cells, which control large blood vessel relaxation, is a potentialcause of exercise hypertension," said study author Kerry J. Stewart, EdD, MEd, MA.