Effect of Acute Bout of 10 Sessions of Dance Aerobic Exercise Intervention on Blood Pressure Indices Among Ethnic Population with Elevated Cardiovascular Risk

The rate pressure product (RPP) is a non-invasive index of myocardial oxygen consumption, derived from heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). While aerobic exercise is known to improve cardiovascular efficiency, evidence is limited for racialized populations, particularly African Canadians and South Asians who face elevated cardiovascular risk. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine whether a 10-session dance aerobics program provides a cardiovascular stimulus sufficient to affect RPP and blood pressure responses in these groups. Methods: A total of 160 participants with hypertension or related conditions (80 African Canadians, 80 South Asians) completed 10 sessions of community-based aerobic dance. Pre- and post-intervention measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HR, and RPP were obtained and analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests. Results: Both groups showed reductions in blood pressure after the intervention. South Asians demonstrated moderate decreases in SBP and RPP, while African Canadians exhibited stable or slightly increased RPP values despite improvements in SBP and DBP. Between-group comparisons showed significant differences in SBP and HR (p < 0.05), but changes in RPP did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Despite the modest reductions in systolic BP (≥5 mmHg), this may carry clinical significance. Conclusion: This study highlights that blood pressure and RPP responses to exercise may differ across ethnic groups. Short-term dance aerobics effectively reduced blood pressure in both African Canadian and South Asian participants, supporting its role as a culturally adaptable intervention. These findings underline the importance of tailoring exercise recommendations to ethnic and cultural contexts and provide a case for larger studies in a multi-ethnic population.