The effect of daily physical activity on bidirectional transitions of elevated blood pressure status: the first longitudinal evidence from the CHARLS.

Abstract

Purpose review: Physical activity (PA) is known to prevent and manage hypertension, but its impact on dynamic blood pressure (BP) transitions remains unclear. This study explores how daily PA influences bidirectional BP transitions using data from a Chinese national cohort.

Methods and results: Using data from 2,785 CHARLS participants, BP states (normal, elevated, hypertensive) and PA intensity (vigorous, moderate, walking) were analyzed via multi-state Markov models. Our findings showed distinct effects of MET levels on BP transitions: total MET, moderate MET, and vigorous MET inhibited progression from elevated BP to hypertension (HR: 0.928, 95% CI: 0.865-0.995; HR: 0.880, 95% CI: 0.821-0.944; HR: 0.925, 95% CI: 0.864-0.990). Moderate MET promoted regression from elevated BP to normal BP (HR: 1.099, 95% CI: 1.013-1.192). Dose-response curves further revealed that moderate intensity PA of approximately 4700 MET-min/week was associated with the greatest reduction in the risk of elevated BP progressing to hypertension. Interaction analysis between moderate and vigorous intensity PA revealed that at lower total MET levels (approximately 7,000 MET-min/week), a combination of moderate intensity PA with low levels of vigorous PA conferred the greatest protection against BP progression. As total PA volume increased beyond this threshold, the optimal combination shifted toward higher levels of both moderate and vigorous PA, suggesting a synergistic effect at greater activity volumes.

Conclusion: Moderate intensity PA was most consistently associated with favorable transitions in elevated BP states. Each approximately 2,000 MET-min/week increase in moderate activity was linked to a reduced risk of progression and improved likelihood of regression. At lower total activity volumes, moderate PA combined with low vigorous PA showed the greatest benefit. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring daily activity patterns by intensity and volume to support blood pressure control in community settings.