Ramirez-Jimenez M, et al. - Researchers investigated whether the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects of intense exercise may be enhanced by angiotensin II receptor type 1 blocker (ARB) antihypertensive treatment. Hypertensive individuals with metabolic syndrome chronically medicated with ARB (n=15) partook in two exercise trials in a blind randomized order: the ARB MED trial was conducted after participants took their habitual dose of ARB and the PLAC trial was performed after 48 hours of placebo medicine (ie, dextrose). A 5.5-mmHG increase in brachial systolic BP level was observed following placebo medication. In both the ARB MED and PLAC trials, the extent to which exercise reduced systolic and diastolic BP levels was found to be same. However, in the ARB MED trial, post-exercise increase in postocclusion reactive hyperemia was reported. Overall, findings showed that ARBs and a bout of intense exercise each had an independent impact on lowering BP levels in hypertensive individuals, and these effects were additive.