Isometric handgrip training, but not a single session, reduces blood pressure in individuals with hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aerobic exercise is a leading strategy for the prevention/management of systemic arterial hypertension, but other modalities of exercise have also been explored. Thus, we examine the acute effect of isometric handgrip exercise (IHGE) and the chronic effect of isometric handgrip training (IHGT) on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in individuals with hypertension. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with hypertension. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane, Web of Science, LILACS, EMBASE and PEDro. We used random-effects model for the analyses, RoB2 tool to assess the risk of bias, and GRADE to assess the strength of evidence.