May 20, 2003 — A device that guides slow breathing can reduce both office and home blood pressure (BP) in those who are resistant to medications, according to the results of an open study presented at a poster session on May 16 at the American Society of Hypertension annual meeting.
"Breathing has a lot of important effects in modulating cardiovascular variables," coauthor Benjamin Gavish, PhD, told Medscape. He is the inventor of the guided breathing device and an employee of Intercure Ltd in Lod, Israel, which sponsored this study.
To determine whether two months of device-guided slow breathing exercises for 15 minutes daily could safely and effectively reduce high BP, the authors recruited 17 resistant hypertensives from three clinics.
Mean age was 67 ± 8 years, 59% were men, mean office BP was 155 ± 10 / 89 ± 9 mm Hg and mean home BP was 156 ± 20 / 89 ± 13 mm Hg. Medication use, which remained constant throughout the study, consisted of three antihypertensive drugs in 64% and four to six drugs in the remainder of the patients.
After two months of breathing exercises, both office BP and home BP declined from baseline with no significant change in heart rate (change in office BP, -12.9 ± 11.4 / 6.9 ± 6.3 mm Hg ( P < .001 / P < .001); change in home BP, -6.4 ± 2.6 / -2.6 ± 5.1 mm Hg ( P < .01 / P < .05). Most patients were compliant with the treatment, and 76% had a positive response.
Age and sex did not affect outcomes, and there were no observed adverse effects. When baseline BP was greater than 132/80 mm Hg, there was a greater reduction in home BP (correlation coefficient, 0.62 for systolic and 0.76 for diastolic BP).
"We are all enthusiastic about closing the existing gap between breathing intervention maneuvers and cardiovascular disease," Dr. Gavish said. "We recognize that involvement of the physicians is so important if we are to bring the benefits of this device to patients."
Intercure Ltd sponsored this study and employs Dr. Gavish. Other collaborators in this study are from the WHO Collaborative Center for Prevention of CVD and from Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkalon, Israel.
ASH 18th Annual Meeting: Abstract P-334. Presented May 16, 2003.
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD
Medscape Medical News © 2003
Cite this: Laurie Barclay. Slow-Breathing Device Reduces Blood Pressure - Medscape - May 20, 2003.
