OBJECTIVE: Describe arterial blood pressure response in adolescents undergoing exercise stress testing. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 218 adolescents (131 of whom were males), aged between 10 to 19 years, undergoing exercise stress testing. Maximum heart rate, total exercise time, maximum oxygen uptake, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) at rest, during maximal physical exertion and at six minutes of recovery were measured. RESULTS: At rest, SBP values were greater in males and no difference was found in DBP between genders, although both increased with age. During exercise, SBP rose and DBP fell in both genders. SBP variation was greater in men, particularly in those over 14 years of age. CONCLUSION: Analysis of results showed that during physical exercise, SBP had a direct relationship with the individual’s age, weight, height and body mass index, whereas DBP bore a relationship to age only.
Blood pressure; exercise test; teen health
