Hypertension in Athletes

Hypertension is common in athletes: regular exercise lowers blood pressure, but it does not protect against hypertension, and raised blood pressure is one of the more frequent reasons a healthy competitor is referred on.

It becomes a sport and exercise medicine (SEM) problem because training adaptations can confuse the diagnosis, several performance-related substances raise blood pressure, and anti-doping rules constrain some of the drugs normally used. This page covers diagnosis, assessment, drug choice in a tested athlete, and eligibility.