Before ultrasound examination, brachial blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken using an oscillometric device (BP-203i, Colin Medical, Komaki, Japan) at 3-minute intervals for 20 minutes, and the average was taken as the casual BP level.
A resting BP measurement was taken using an electronic blood pressure monitor (Omron, MX3 basic) with the cuff placed on the participant's upper right arm, a 5 minute baseline recording of HR was logged.
Five consecutive readings of BP were taken (after 5 min sitting rest) using an automated BP instrument (Stabil-O-Graph; IEM, Stolberg, Germany) with a cuff suitable for < 33-cm arm circumference, according to the guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension (O'Brien et al. 2003).
Homologous fragments longer than 30 bp were taken into a dataset and then translated into three versions of protein sequences using different reading-frames.
Systolic and diastolic BP were taken with two readings on a Welch Allyn Speidel & Keller sphygmomanometer; the average readings were used in the analysis.
For the systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measurements, participants were asked to rest for 10 min in a sitting position before their BP was taken on their right arm using appropriate cuff sizes.
Resting BP was taken before and after HICT program using an electronic BP cuff (Physio Logic Auto Inflate BP Monitor AMG Medical Inc.., Montreal, QC).
BP was taken by a trained research nurse using a single calibrated and validated digital sphygmomanometer with appropriate sized cuffs (Omron HEM-907; JA Davey Pty Ltd ,Melbourne, VIC, Australia).
BP was taken seated, immediately after a seated patient history.
