Oxidative stress and hypertension in old age: The role of physical exercise

Abstract Aging is a natural phenomenon that begins with the birth and ends with the death of the individual. Throughout this period the physiological processes undergo several transformations in the logic of adapting the conditions of the environment and of the body itself, seeking the preservation or reestablishment of homeostasis with a view to the preservation of life. In this context, physical exercise plays a fundamental role, considering that the adaptations that it promotes in the body are fundamental both for the prevention and treatment of several chronic diseases that tend to aggravate in old age, among them the hypertension. Thus the proposal of this chapter is to analyze the relationships between human aging, oxidative stress, and hypertension so as to analyze the role of physical exercise as a nontherapeutic intervention for preventing or mitigating the deleterious effects of oxidative stress and aging on blood pressure.