Isometric exercise and inter-individual response differences on resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Isometric exercise (IE) has been shown to reduce resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in adults. However, no one to date has determined whether true inter-individual response differences (IIRD) versus random variability exist with respect to IE and resting SBP and DBP in adults ≥18 years of age. The purpose of the current study was to address this gap. Using the meta-analytic approach, randomised controlled trials from a recent meta-analysis that examined the effects of IE on resting SBP and DBP were included. Change outcome standard deviations for SBP and DBP from IE and control groups were used to calculate true IIRD from each study. The inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) model was used to pool results. Pooled changes for true IIRD in SBP (16 studies, 411 participants) were 3.3 mmHg (95% confidence interval, −3.1 to 5.6 mmHg) while tau (τ) was 4.2. For DBP, true IIRD (16 studies, 411 participants) were 2.3 mmHg (95% confidence interval, −0.7 to 3.3 mmHg) while tau (τ) was 2.2. The 95% prediction interval for true IIRD in a future study was −5.8 to 7.4 mmHg for SBP and −2.7 to 4.2 mmHg for DBP. The percent chance, i.e. probability, of a clinically meaningful difference of 2 mmHg was 68% for SBP and 75% for DBP, both of which were only considered as ‘possibly clinically important’. While IE reduces resting SBP and DBP in adults, the results of the current study suggest that random variability versus true IIRD account for any potential differences as a result of IE on changes in resting SBP and DBP in adults. Thus, a search for potential moderators and mediators, including potential genetic interactions associated with IE, may not be warranted.