Slow respiration could reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients

บทคัดย่อ

Hypertension is a chronic disease. If the patients cannot control their blood pressure well, they will end up having deterioration of blood vessels all over the body resulting in complications in their heart, kidney and brain. Managing hypertension needs several components such as medication, weight control, salt reduction, and exercise. Besides western treatment modalities, eastern style of exercise emphasized in controlled respiration such as Yoga, Tai chi, Chigong. All of them control the respiration along with the posture and imagination. All mental exercise methods make them calm both physically and mentally.

This study aimed at exploring effect of slow respiration on blood pressure change and factors related to blood pressure change. The study was conducted among 44 subjects undergoing slow respiration practice in order to reduce their blood pressure. We trained them to practice slow respiration both inhale and exhale properly and try to breathe at less than 10 times per minute. We recorded their blood pressure before the training and every 4 weeks to 8 weeks. The results showed that after 8 weeks of training, systolic blood pressure was reduced for 23.59 (95% CI = 16.90, 30.29) mmHg and diastolic blood pressure was reduced for 8.57 (95% CI = 4.57, 12.57) mmHg.