Whole-body vibration training decreases ankle systolic blood pressure and leg arterial stiffness in obese postmenopausal women with high blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: High ankle systolic blood pressure (SBP; ≥175 mm Hg) is associated with arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity [PWV]) and cardiac events. This study aims to investigate the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) training on ankle SBP and its associations with changes in PWV and aortic SBP in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: Thirty-six postmenopausal women were randomized to a control group (n = 12) or a WBV training group (3 d/wk) that was stratified by ankle SBP into WBV-high (n = 12) and WBV-normal (n = 12). Ankle SBP, brachial SBP, aortic SBP, femoral-ankle PWV (legPWV), carotid-femoral PWV, and brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) were examined before and after 12 weeks.

RESULTS: Baseline ankle SBP was higher (P < 0.05) in the WBV-high group compared with the WBV-normal group. WBV-high reduced mean (SEM) ankle SBP (-24 [7] mm Hg, P < 0.05) compared with WBV-normal and control. Both WBV groups decreased (P < 0.05) mean (SEM) brachial SBP (-11 [2] mm Hg), aortic SBP (-11 [3] mm Hg), legPWV (-0.80 [0.17] m/s), and baPWV (-1.18 [0.27] m/s) compared with the control group. Reductions in legPWV were correlated (P < 0.05) with decreases in ankle SBP (r = 0.43), brachial SBP (r = 0.42), aortic SBP (r = 0.42), and baPWV (r = 0.75).

CONCLUSIONS: WBV training decreases ankle SBP in postmenopausal women with high ankle SBP. WBV training reduces aortic SBP, legPWV, and baPWV, but not carotid-femoral PWV, in postmenopausal women independently of ankle SBP. Therefore, reductions in peripheral and central SBP induced by WBV training are explained by a reduction in peripheral PWV.