Effect of whole-body vibration on blood pressure in obese postmenopausal women. A randomized controlled study

Abstract

Background. Menopause constitutes a natural biological process that reflects the end of the reproductive life of women and has been related to elevated risk factors for multiple strokes. Multiple studies have revealed that healthy women during menopause have increased abdominal obesity, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) besides reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Aim. We aim to determine the impact of whole body vibration (WBV) on BP and blood lipid profile in obese postmenopausal women. Subjects and methods. Our study enrolled 30 postmenopausal women with hypertension (HTN) who were aged 55–65 years old and had a BMI of 30–34.9 Kg/m2. An experienced physician diagnosed the participants with either pre-HTN or stage 1 HTN, with BP measurements of 140/90–159/99 mmHg. The participants were assigned into two equal groups (n = 15) in a random manner. Group A received a dietary regimen, whereas Group B received the dietary regimen along with a two-month whole body vibration (WBV) training program for 30 min, 3 sessions/week. Measurements were obtained for all participants, including their BP and serum TC, TG, HDL, and LDL levels pre- and post-therapy. Results. The results demonstrated that average systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TC, TG, and LDL values significantly decreased in both groups, with a significant reduction favoring group B. Additionally, the average HDL value exhibited a statistically significant increase in both groups, with a significant increase favoring group B. Conclusion. WBV conjugated with a suitable nutritional intervention is considered a safe, user-friendly, and highly efficient physical therapy strategy for ameliorating blood lipid levels and lowering BP in postmenopausal women with HTN.