Timing exercise to improve blood pressure and blood vessel health
Chrono-exercise is Medicine: Improving Blood Pressure and Vascular Function through Chronotherapy
This project looks at whether exercising at specific times of day helps older adults with high blood pressure lower their nighttime blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141577 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will measure your blood pressure and blood vessel function across the day and night using ambulatory monitors and vascular tests. You may be assigned to do planned aerobic exercise at different times of day so the team can compare effects on nighttime blood pressure and vascular health. The study will map daily rhythms of blood vessel function in older adults with and without hypertension to guide when exercise should be done and when outcomes should be measured. Results will inform whether changing exercise timing can be a practical way to improve blood pressure control.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults with diagnosed hypertension who are able to perform regular aerobic exercise and willing to complete day-night blood pressure monitoring and clinic visits.
Not a fit: People who cannot safely exercise due to unstable heart disease, severe mobility limitations, or those without elevated nighttime blood pressure are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to lower nighttime blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk by timing exercise correctly.
How similar studies have performed: Timing blood pressure medications has reduced nighttime blood pressure in past trials and early studies suggest exercise timing might matter, but using scheduled exercise to lower nocturnal BP is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
East Lansing, United States
- Michigan State University — East Lansing, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Currie, Katharine Dianne — Michigan State University
- Study coordinator: Currie, Katharine Dianne
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.