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Relationship Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Baseline Blood Pressure and Hypertensive Response to Exercise in the Ferrari Corporate Population

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Abstract

Aim

To evaluate the incidence and clinical significance of impaired cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and the association with baseline blood pressure (BP) levels and hypertensive response to exercise (HRE).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total sample of 2058 individuals with a mean age of 38 ± 9 years, enrolled for the first time at the Ferrari corporate wellness program “Formula Benessere”, including a maximal exercise stress testing (EST). BP and heart rate (HR) values were obtained from EST at rest, during exercise and recovery time. CRF was arbitrarily classified according to estimated VO2 max in optimal, normal, mildly and moderately reduced.

Results

One-hundred and thirty-nine individuals of 2058 (6.7%) showed a moderate CRF reduction assessed by EST. Subjects with elevated resting and/or exercise BP showed a worse CRF than those with normal BP levels, also after the adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking habits, peak SBP and DBP. Seventy-seven individuals (3.7%) showed an HRE during EST, with normal baseline BP levels.

Conclusion

About 7% of a corporate population showed a significantly reduced CRF, assessed by EST. Individuals with lower levels of CRF have higher resting and/or peak exercising BP values after adjusting for co-variables. This study expands the role of EST outside of traditional ischemic CVD evaluation, towards the assessment of reduced CRF and HRE in the general population, as a possible not evaluated CV risk factor.

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Author notes

  1. Alessandro Biffi and Giovanna Gallo equally contributed to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Med-Ex, Medicine and Exercise srl, Medical Partner Scuderia Ferrari, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Biffi, Fredrick Fernando, Felice Sirico, Maria Grazia Signorello, Lorena De Martino, George Emil Manole & Stefano Palermi

  2. Cardiology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Giovanna Gallo & Massimo Volpe

Authors
  1. Alessandro Biffi
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  2. Giovanna Gallo
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  3. Fredrick Fernando
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  4. Felice Sirico
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  5. Maria Grazia Signorello
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  6. Lorena De Martino
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  7. George Emil Manole
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  8. Stefano Palermi
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Correspondence to Giovanna Gallo.

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Biffi, A., Gallo, G., Fernando, F. et al. Relationship Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Baseline Blood Pressure and Hypertensive Response to Exercise in the Ferrari Corporate Population. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 29, 81–88 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-021-00491-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-021-00491-5

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