Background: Grade 2 primary hypertension (HT2) can negatively affect cardiovascular health and quality of life. Physical exercise is a non-pharmacological intervention that may modulate inflammatory and angiogenesis biomarkers, as well as improve fitness and patient-reported outcomes. This study aims to compare the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) and physiological ischemic training (PIT) on HT2 patients.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial will include 60 HT2 patients from Pratama and Utama Medika Antapani Clinic. Participants will be randomly assigned to AE or PIT groups. The intervention will last 6 weeks. Outcomes to be measured include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max, 6-minute walk distance \[6-MWD\]), muscle strength (maximum voluntary contraction \[MVC\]), and quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire).
