Nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertension by respiratory exercise in the home setting.
BACKGROUND
Device-guided breathing exercises at home have a potential to become a nonpharmacologic treatment of high blood pressure (BP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of device-guided breathing exercises on both office and home BP.


METHODS
A total of 79 mild hypertensive individuals, either medicated or unmedicated, with BP > 140/90 mm Hg were enrolled. After a 2-week run-in phase, in both the control and treatment groups daily home blood pressure was monitored for 8 weeks. The treatment group also engaged in 15-min daily sessions with device-guided breathing exercises.


RESULTS
A total of 47 treatment patients and 26 control subjects completed the study. In the control group both office and home BP showed small nonsignificant reductions. Device-guided breathing exercises reduced mean office BP (systolic/diastolic) by 5.5/3.6 mm Hg (P < .05 for diastolic) and mean home BP by 5.4/3.2 mm Hg (P < .001 for both). Home BP response reached a plateau after 3 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that device-guided breathing exercises have an antihypertensive effect that can be seen in conditions closer to daily life than the setting of the physician's office.
Meles
Ester
E
Clinica Medica, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Prevenzione e Biotecnologie Sanitarie, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, S. Gerardo Hospital Monza, Italy.
Giannattasio
Cristina
C
Failla
Monica
M
Gentile
Gaetano
G
Capra
Anna
A
Mancia
Giuseppe
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012119:Respiration; D012648:Self Care; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome