Low-intensity isometric handgrip exercise has no transient effect on blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease

•A new nonpharmacologic tool (handgrip exercise) is proposed to lower blood pressure.•A single session of isometric handgrip exercise does not induce blood pressure reductions.•Isometric handgrip exercise at low intensity is safe in patients with coronary artery disease.

Hypertension is highly prevalent among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation reduces blood pressure (BP). However, less is known about the transient effect of a single bout of exercise on BP. Isometric handgrip exercise has been proposed as a new nonpharmacologic tool to lower BP. We aimed to investigate the acute effect of isometric handgrip exercise on BP in CAD patients. Twenty-one male CAD patients were included. All patients completed two experimental sessions in random order: one control and one low-intensity isometric handgrip session. BP was measured by means of a 24-hour ambulatory BP monitor preintervention, for 1 hour in the office and subsequently for 24 hours. Our results suggest that isometric handgrip exercise performed at low intensity is safe in patients with CAD but does not induce a transient reduction in BP.