Breath Training and Hypertension

(elevated blood pressure)

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were approximately 37 million office visits for high blood pressure in the year 2000 (the last year that the stats were compiled).

Even though many cases of hypertension can be reversed by simple lifestyle changes, millions of dollars are spent each year by consumers for medications designed to lower blood pressure.

Recently, a very important study appeared that provided solid evidence for the use of musically-paced respiration training as found in Advanced CardioLogix products as a non-invasive, non-pharmicological method of effectively controlling high blood pressure.

Below is brief synopsis of this very important study.

Blood Pressure Reduction with Breathing Exercises
Grossman E, Grossman A, Schein MH, Zimlichman R, Gavish B.
Internal Medicine D, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.

We hypothesized that routinely applied short sessions of slow and regular breathing can lower blood pressure (BP). Using a new technology BIM (Breathe with Interactive Music), hypertensive patients were guided towards slow and regular breathing. The present study evaluates the efficacy of the BIM in lowering BP.

We studied 33 patients (23M/10F), aged 25-75 years, with uncontrolled BP. Patients were randomised into either active treatment with the BIM (n = 18) or a control treatment with a Walkman (n = 15).

Treatment at home included either musically-guided breathing exercises with the BIM or listening to quiet music played by a Walkman for 10 min daily for 8 weeks. BP and heart rate were measured both at the clinic and at home with an Omron IC BP monitor. Clinic BP levels were measured at baseline, and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment.

Home BP measurements were taken daily, morning and evening, throughout the study. The two groups were matched by initial BP, age, gender, body mass index and medication status. The BP change at the clinic was -7.5/-4.0 mm Hg in the active treatment group, vs -2.9/-1.5 mm Hg in the control group (P = 0.001 for systolic BP). Analysis of home-measured data showed an average BP change of -5.0/-2.7 mm Hg in the active treatment group and -1.2/+0.9 mm Hg in the control group. Ten out of 18 (56%) were defined as responders in the active treatment group but only two out of 14 (14%) in the control group (P = 0.02).

Thus, breathing exercise guided by the BIM device for 10 min daily is an effective non-pharmacological modality to reduce BP.

PMID 11319675 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Advanced CardioLogix products such as the HeartTracker, Stress Nine-One-One, and the AeroTIC series have applied a more refined version of the "BIM" protocol for years with tremendous results. It is the perfect, natural way to restore balance!