Improving Age-Related Cognitive Decline With Exercise in Hypertensive Older Adults

Improving Age-Related Cognitive Decline With Exercise in Hypertensive Older Adults: A Pilot Study to Investigate A Retinal Microvascular Biomarker and the Role of IGF

The investigator aims to assess the extent to which a brief exercise intervention improves systemic growth factor concentrations, reverses loss of systemic vascular networks and hypertension, and by extension, improves neurocognition. To test the investigator's hypothesis that increased cardiovascular fitness will correlate with improved vascular density, the investigator proposes the innovative use of retinal density scans.

Inclusion Criteria:

• adults between 55-75 years of age
• essential hypertension (as determined by referring physicians)
• engages in less than 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise/week (as determined by CHAMPS Questionnaire)
• physically able to exercise
• access to an upright cycle ergometer at home or via gym access
• access to smart device (iOS or Android phone or tablet with ability to install and use Polar Beat and Polar FlowTM applications).

Exclusion Criteria:

• diagnosis of dementia
• resting systolic blood pressure <120, or >180 mm Hg
• disease or condition that would preclude exercise
• untreated depression or anxiety disorders
• severe respiratory disease
• disease of the eye
• refractive error > 6 diopters or +6 diopters (as assessed by 1st retinal scan).