We selected nonconsecutive patients
between 40 and 65 years of age with RH for more than 5 years, who in the previous
6 months had unchanged or regular use of three antihypertensive drugs, with an office
systolic BP of at least ≥140 mm Hg, and diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg.We used medical records
to exclude patients with a history of secondary hypertension, evidence of target organ
damage (i.e., heart, eye, kidney, and brain), or coronary artery disease. We also excluded
those patients with any chronic illness that could limit their capacity to exercise, were
smokers, or were participating in regular physical activity.