Blood pressure responses to a progressive step test in normotensive males and females.

This study documents the blood pressure responses to a progressive step test adapted from the Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (CAFT). Subjects were administered the first five stages of the CAFT in a progressive and discontinuous manner. Mean heart rate, SBP, and delta SBP increased linearly with exercise intensity, while mean diastolic blood pressure remained stable. The variables that contributed most to delta SBP (Stage 3) in males were age and degree of participation in physical activity, and in females the variables were body weight and degree of participation. Criteria for the detection of an exaggerated (mean delta SBP + 1 SD) and highly exaggerated (mean delta SBP + 2 SD) SBP response were defined. Resting normotensive individuals who demonstrate an excessive exercise blood pressure response seem to do so at the lowest levels of stepping intensities. This step test protocol appears to be a useful and practical procedure for assessing the exercise blood pressure response in higher risk individuals.