Relaxation therapy for essential hypertension: a Veterans Administration Outpatient study.
Twenty-nine patients who had been treated with antihypertensive medication for at least the preceding 6 months were randomly assigned to (1) therapist-conducted, face-to-face progressive, deep-muscle relaxation training for 10 weekly sessions, or (2) progressive deep-muscle relaxation therapy conducted mainly by home use of audio cassettes, or (3) nonspecific individual psychotherapy for 10 weekly sessions. No differences between the groups were found immediately after therapy; however, the therapist-conducted relaxation therapy group showed the greatest changes: -17.8 mm Hg systolic, -9.7 mm Hg diastolic at 6 months follow-up. Some significant trends in results among the three therapists were also found. No correlation existed between blood pressure changes and changes in dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DbH) levels.
D002140:California; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D013637:Tape Recording; D014481:United States