Preliminary study of Slow Deep Breathing in Mindfulness Exercise Effects on Physical Health Outcome among Hypertensive Patients
Pantip Sangprasert, Srimuang Palangrit, Junya Pattaraarchachai, Natima Tiyoa
THE BANGKOK MEDICAL JOURNAL August 30, 2018 DOI: 10.31524/bkkmedj.2018.09.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients aged 35-59 years diagnosed with stage I hypertension at two primary health care units |
| Intervention | Slow deep breathing in mindfulness exercises |
| Duration | 12 weeks (measurements at 6 and 12 weeks) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Adding slow deep breathing in mindfulness exercises to standard hypertension treatment was associated with lower respiratory rate, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate at 6 weeks, and lower respiratory rate and diastolic blood pressure at 12 weeks, compared with standard treatment alone. No significant differences appeared in systolic blood pressure at either time point or in heart rate at 12 weeks. |
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to examine the effect of slow deep breathing in mindfulness exercises on physical health outcome among hypertensive patients.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Two primary health care units (PCU) were selected as control and intervention groups. Samples were patients aged 35 - 59 years old, diagnosed with stage I hypertension. Both groups received the standard for hypertension guidelines treatment. The experimental group was added as a drill in observational breathing in mindfulness skills, which recognizes the feeling of adaptation to everyday life.RESULTS:The physical outcomes were measured on the 6th week as follows: respiratory rate (RR); blood pressure (BP); and heart rate (HR) test. Those that were statistically significantly different in RR 4.7 (p = 0.007), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 6.7 (p = 0.008), HR 7.1 (p = 0.018), on the 12th week RR 9.0 (p < 0.001), and DBP 5.6 (p = .002) when compared to the control group. However there was no statistically significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (6th and 12th week) and heart rate (HR) (12th week).CONCLUSIONS:Slow breathing in mindfulness training should be introduced as a counterpart to modern medicine and promoted to stage I hypertensive patients for resting cardiovascular and blood pressure disease.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction for prehypertension. Psychosomatic Medicine October 1, 2013
- Activation of the anterior prefrontal cortex and serotonergic system is associated with improvements in mood and EEG changes induced by Zen meditation practice in novices. International Journal of Psychophysiology May 1, 2011