title: Device-guided breathing exercises for the treatment of hypertension: An overview.
abstract: The American Heart Association considers device-guided breathing as a reasonable treatment modality in their statement on non-pharmacological options for lowering blood pressure. This review discusses all randomized controlled trials that have investigated the effects of device-guided breathing on blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Thirteen studies were included in this review. In total, 627 patients were included, of which 365 patients were allocated to device-guided breathing. Only 6 studies used acceptable control groups: listening to music, meditative relaxation exercises, or a sham-device. Two sponsored trials showed beneficial effects of device-guided breathing, both used listening to music as a control group. The remaining 4 studies, which had no employees of the manufacturer listed as co-author, observed no beneficial effects on blood pressure. There is only 1 study that used a sham device as a control group. All other studies were to some extend methodologically flawed. Based on the studies with an acceptable methodological quality, there is no clear evidence supporting a short-term beneficial effect on blood pressure by using device-guided breathing.
authors.affiliation: Kornelis JJ van Hateren, Gijs WD Landman, Susan JJ Logtenberg, Henk JG Bilo, Nanne Kleefstra, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8000 GK Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kornelis Jj
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: van Hateren
authors.affiliation: Kornelis JJ van Hateren, Gijs WD Landman, Susan JJ Logtenberg, Henk JG Bilo, Nanne Kleefstra, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8000 GK Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gijs Wd
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Landman
authors.affiliation: Kornelis JJ van Hateren, Gijs WD Landman, Susan JJ Logtenberg, Henk JG Bilo, Nanne Kleefstra, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8000 GK Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Susan Jj
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Logtenberg
authors.affiliation: Kornelis JJ van Hateren, Gijs WD Landman, Susan JJ Logtenberg, Henk JG Bilo, Nanne Kleefstra, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8000 GK Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henk Jg
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bilo
authors.affiliation: Kornelis JJ van Hateren, Gijs WD Landman, Susan JJ Logtenberg, Henk JG Bilo, Nanne Kleefstra, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8000 GK Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nanne
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kleefstra
keywords: Device-guided breathing; Hypertension; Review