RE: slow breathing and hypertension - sharron fuchs d c

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Willard, When I read this article I thought of you. You have mentioned this many times over the years, thank you. sharron fuchs dc

slow breathing and hypertension - sharron fuchs dc

Slow Breathing Improves Drug-Resistant Hypertension

Reuters Health Information 2003. © 2003 Reuters Ltd. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 02 - Device-guided slow breathing can improve the blood pressure of patients with hypertension resistant to drug therapy, according to a report in the June American Journal of Hypertension.

"Evidence suggests that slow breathing has some modulating effect on the cardiovascular system, which may be beneficial in hypertension, as in increasing baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate variability, venous return, and reducing peripheral resistance," the authors explain.

Dr. Reuven Viskoper from Barzilai Medical Center Ashkelon in Ashkelon, Israel and colleagues evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and compliance of an 8-week, 15-minute per day program of self treatment by device-guided slow breathing exercises in 17 patients whose blood pressure ranged from 140 to 160 mm Hg systolic or 90 to 100 mm Hg diastolic despite taking 3 or more antihypertensive drugs at maximal dosage.

Blood pressure declined significantly in response to treatment, the authors report, with decreases in office blood pressure averaging 12.9/6.9 mm Hg and decreases in home blood pressure averaging 6.4/2.6 mm Hg.

Fourteen of the 17 patients were considered responders, the results indicate, and 9 patients completed the study with office blood pressure at the normal or high normal range (below 140/90 mm Hg).

Blood pressure reductions were greater for patients whose baseline blood pressures were higher, the researchers note, and home blood pressure improved only in patients whose mean arterial pressure was at least 98 mm Hg (corresponding to blood pressure above 135/85 mm Hg).

Heart rate did not change significantly during the treatment period, the results indicate, and none of the patients reported side effects related to the treatment. All measures of compliance with the treatment were at least 70%.

"These findings generalize previous results obtained with the same treatment protocol in uncontrolled hypertensives, but not specifically in these hard-to-treat patients," the authors conclude. "The lack of side effects, the demonstrated efficacy and compliance show that there is a potential benefit for using this therapy in the clinical practice, especially when pharmacologic therapy has already failed to achieve blood pressure control."

Am J Hypertens 2003; 16:484-487.

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