Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training to Improve Blood Pressure and Physiological Function

Over, the proposed research project has the long-term potential to influence clinical practice by establishing a novel lifestyle intervention for treating multiple domains of age- and hypertension-associated physiological dysfunction and thereby reducing the risk of clinical disease and disability.

Inclusion criteria

• Ability to provide informed consent
• Willing to accept random assignment to condition
• Women will be confirmed as postmenopausal (either natural or surgical) based on cessation of menses for >1 year.
• Resting systolic blood pressure 120-159 mmHg
• Resting diastolic blood pressure <100 mmHg
• Subjects taking anti-hypertensive medications will be included provided they meet the other inclusion criteria, including elevated systolic blood pressure. These medications will not be withheld prior to experimental protocols.
• Free from alcohol dependence or abuse, as defined by the American Psychiatry Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)

Exclusion criteria

• Current smoking
• Chronic clinical disease (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease/irritable bowel syndrome, coronary artery/peripheral artery/cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, neurological disorders or diseases that may affect motor/cognitive function [multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, polio, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other brain diseases of aging]), except hypertension
• Postmenopausal <1 year
• Scoring <21 on the mini-mental state examination
• Moderate or sever peripheral artery disease (ankle-brachial index 0.7)
• Taking a medication that your doctor deems unsafe to hold for >1 week
• A graded exercise test will be performed by all subjects. If there is physician concern or an adverse event, the subject will not participate in the study.
• No weight stable in the prior 3 months (>2 kg weight change) or unwilling to remain weight stable throughout study (rationale: recent weight change or weight loss can influence vascular function)