Effect of slow- and fast-breathing exercises on autonomic functions in patients with essential hypertension.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Breathing exercises practiced in various forms of meditations such as yoga may influence autonomic functions. This may be the basis of therapeutic benefit to hypertensive patients. DESIGN: The study design was a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study using three groups. SUBJECTS: The subjects comprised 60 male and female patients aged 20-60 years with stage 1 essential hypertension. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly and equally divided into the control and other two intervention groups, who were advised to do 3 months of slow-breathing and fast-breathing exercises, respectively. Baseline and postintervention recording of blood pressure (BP), autonomic function tests such as standing-to-lying ratio (S/L ratio), immediate heart rate response to standing (30:15 ratio), Valsalva ratio, heart rate variation with respiration (E/I ratio), hand-grip test, and cold pressor response were done in all subjects. RESULTS: Slow breathing had a stronger effect than fast breathing. BP decreased longitudinally over a 3-month period with both interventions. S/L ratio, 30:15 ratio, E/I ratio, and BP response in the hand grip and cold pressor test showed significant change only in patients practicing the slow-breathing exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Both types of breathing exercises benefit patients with hypertension. However, improvement in both the sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity may be the mechanism that is associated in those practicing the slow-breathing exercise.

Author information

Author/s: Mourya, Monika (M); Mahajan, Aarti Sood (AS); Singh, Narinder Pal (NP); Jain, Ajay K (AK);

Affiliation: Department of Physiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal: Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) (J Altern Complement Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jul; vol 15 (issue 7) : pp 711-7

Dates: Created 2009/07/09; Completed 2009/10/20;

PMID: 19534616, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/20/2009, IMS Date: )

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