Changes of blood pressure following initiation of physical inactivity and after external addition of pulses to circulation

PURPOSE: To determine whether an innovative, motorized, wellness device that effortlessly produces physical activity (JD) can mitigate the hypertensive effects of prolonged sitting or lying down. METHODS: Twenty-two normotensive and hypertensive adults of both genders gave informed consent to participate in a randomized controlled crossover study of a passive simulated jogging device (JD) in both supine and seated postures. Each study participant was monitored with a continuous non-invasive arterial pressure monitoring device (CNAP) over 60 min. The initial 10 min served as baseline for each posture. The subjects were randomized to begin with either JD or SHAM control for 30 min, and monitoring was continued for an additional 10 min in one posture; three days later posture and order of JD or SHAM were changed. RESULTS: In both seated and supine postures, SHAM was associated with a significant rise in blood pressure (BP) which was observed within 5–10 min; it continued to rise or remain elevated for over a 40-min observation period. In contrast, JD produced a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both postures. During recovery in seated posture JD decreased systolic and diastolic BP by − 8.1 and − 7.6 mmHg, respectively. In supine posture, a similar decrease in BP occurred. CONCLUSIONS: There is rapid onset of increase in systolic and diastolic BP with physical inactivity in both supine and seated postures. Administration of JD significantly decreased BP in both postures. Further studies are needed to assess long-term effectiveness. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00421-018-4016-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.