Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of different exercise modes on improving exercise endurance and myocardial function in patients with essential hypertension. Methods A total of 180 patients with essential hypertension were selected from a certain hospital of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from June 2020 to December 2022. According to the method of random number table, the patients were divided into three groups： high‐intensity intermittent aerobic exercise training group （AIT group）, moderate to low intensity continuous aerobic exercise training group （MIT group）, and quiet control group （Control group） without exercise training, with 60 cases in each group. The exercise training lasted for 12 weeks in the exercise intervention group. Blood pressure, heart rate （HR）, body mass index （BMI）, echocardiogram, and exercise endurance were compared before and after exercise intervention. Results Among 180 patients, there were 119 males and 61 females, aged 35-87 years old, with an average of （52.83±5.12） years old. The BMI was 18.2-36.9 kg/m², with an average of （24.74±2.32） kg/m². The course of the disease was （4.96±0.98） years. Hypertension classification： 54 cases at grade I, 79 cases at grade Ⅱ, and 47 cases at grade Ⅲ. There were 116 cases with good medication adherence and 64 cases with poor medication adherence. There were no statistically significant differences in gender distribution, age, course of disease, BMI, HR, SBP, DBP,blood pressure grading, and medication adherence among the three groups of patients （all P>0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in SBP, DBP, HR, echocardiography indicators, and exercise endurance indicators among the three groups of patients before exercise intervention （all P>0.05）. The differences in SBP, DBP, HR, left ventricular mass index （LVMI）, left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVDD）, left ventricular posterior wall thickness （LVPWT）, interventricular septal thickness （IVST）, maximum oxygen consumption （VO₂）, and metabolic equivalents （METs） among the three groups of patients after exercise intervention and before and after intervention were statistically significant （all P<0.01）. Conclusions The antihypertensive effect of exercise is intensity dependent in patients with essential hypertension. Compared with moderate to low intensity continuous aerobic exercise, high‐intensity intermittent aerobic exercise has a better improvement effect and is an effective way to reduce blood pressure and improve other cardiovascular risk factors.

Key words: Exercise mode, Essential hypertension, Exercise endurance, Myocardial function, Improvement effect