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Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of mat Pilates (MP) versus MP plus aerobic exercise (AE) compared with the effects of no intervention on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in women with hypertension. Methods. This 3-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial assessed 60 women who had hypertension and were 30 to 59 years old. The intervention lasted 16 weeks, and the participants were allocated into 3 groups: MP only (MP group), MP with alternating bouts of AE on a treadmill (MP + AE group), and control group (CG) with no exercises. Primary outcomes were the effects of the interventions on ambulatory BP assessed in the 24-hour, awake, and asleep periods of analysis. Results. A 2-way analysis of variance did not reveal statistically significant differences in between-group comparisons in the 24-hour period of analysis for systolic BP (CG vs MP =3.3 [95% CI = -7.1 to 13.8]; MP vs MP +AE = 0.7 [95% CI= -4 to 5.4]; CG vs MP +AE=4.0 [95% CI=-5.2 to 13.4]), diastolic BP (CG vs MP=2.2 [95% CI=-5.6 to 10.0]; MP vs MP+AE =1.1 [95% CI=-4.3 to 6.5]; CG vs MP+AE =3.3 [95% CI=-3.8 to 10.4]), and heart rate (CG vs MP=3.4 [95% CI=-2 to 8.8]; MP vs MP +AE=2.0 [95% CI=-3.4 to 7.5]; CG vs MP+AE=5.4 [95% CI=-0.8 to 11.8]). The awake and asleep periods of analyses also showed similar behavior and did not reveal statistically significant between-group differences. Furthermore, in the responsiveness analysis based on the minimal clinically important difference, no differences were observed between groups. Conclusion. The magnitudes of the decrease in systolic BP during the 24-hour period of analysis were -3 and -5.48 mm Hg for the MP and MP +AE groups, without differences for responsiveness between groups. The results suggest that MP supplemented with AE or not may be an alternative adjuvant treatment for women who have hypertension and are using antihypertension medication. Impact. Sixteen weeks of MP training reduced ambulatory BP in women who had hypertension. The MP + AE group displayed a BP reduction similar to that of the MP group. A reduction in ambulatory BP can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. Keywords: Aerobic Exercise, Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Disease, Pilates Method, Introduction Systemic arterial hypertension affects nearly one-third of adults in most communities in developed and developing countries, (1) representing a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) onset. (2) Regular [...]

To determine if anthropometric variables, body composition, medication and gender are associated with functional performance and to compare these variables between octogenarians with high and low functional performance.

•Osteoarthritis promoted distinct modulation on MMP-2 in the quadriceps versus patellar tendon.•There is peri-articular tissue adaptation to resistance training in osteoarthritis.•Resistance training downregulates MMP-2 in quadriceps tendon, while in the patellar tendon its effects are limited.•Understanding extracellular matrix degeneration is crucial for rehabilitation purposes of osteoarthritis.

•D-dimer may be a relevant molecule to screen for prior to prescribing physical exercise to avoid the risk of thrombosis in hemodialysis patients.•The application of blood-flow restriction to maximize the effects of physical exercise may not be a safe alternative for most hemodialysis patients with borderline (400–490 ng/mL) D-dimer levels.•Recent cardiovascular events, socioeconomic status, aging, vascular access, smoking, recent complications, type of anticoagulant used in hemodialysis, fasting glucose, blood pressure, and elevated C-reactive protein levels are all variables that should be part of the anamnesis of hemodialysis patients before starting intradialytic exercise with blood-flow restriction.