Physical activity lower blood pressure and mortality in hypertensive patients with diabetes: data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018

In prior research related to physical activity, researchers have often centered their focus on only a limited number of activities, with little regard for mortality-related outcomes and insufficient focus on outcomes among diabetes patients with hypertension. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was evaluated from 1999-2018 to identify individual with both diabetes and hypertension. These individuals were classified as being physically active or inactive. Comparisons among groups were performed with appropriate statistical tests. In total, this study evaluated data from 6,163 patients with a mean age of 63.18 ± 12.80 years. A total of 50.30% of the participants were male, with 39.86% being non-Hispanic white, 57.17% with a normal body mass index, and 89.20% were insured. Physical activity was significantly negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure in the overall population (p = 0.01) and when specifically focusing on individuals undergoing antihypertensive drug treatment (p = 0.0035). This negative relationship remained intact even following adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity (p = 0.03). Physical activity was positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure in the overall population of participants (p = 0.002) and when specifically evaluating participants undergoing antihypertensive drug treatment (p = 0.02). All-cause and hypertensive mortality risk levels were significantly higher among individuals classified as being physically inactive (p < 0.0001), and this relationship remained true even with adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, physical activity is capable of lowering systolic blood pressure and decreasing the incidence of mortality among diabetes patients with hypertension.