Mindful breathing as an effective technique in the management of hypertension.
Aravind Natarajan, Hulya Emir-Farinas, Hao-Wei Su
Frontiers in Physiology 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1339873 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,918 |
| Population | Fitbit users in the United States or Canada who owned an FDA- or Health Canada-approved blood pressure measuring device and self-reported blood pressure readings |
| Duration | 15 minutes daily before sleep; measurements over several days |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Blood pressure Hypertension Mindful breathing Non-pharmacological methods |
| Key findings | Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased after mindful breathing. For participants with systolic pressure of at least 130 mmHg, systolic pressure fell 9.7 mmHg after 15 minutes of breathing at 6 breaths per minute, and resting systolic pressure measured over several days decreased by an average of 4.3 mmHg. The authors conclude that daily device-guided mindful breathing is effective in lowering blood pressure and a helpful complement to standard care. |
Abstract
Introduction: Hypertension is one of the most important, modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The popularity of wearable devices provides an opportunity to test whether device guided slow mindful breathing may serve as a non-pharmacological treatment in the management of hypertension.
Methods: Fitbit Versa-3 and Sense devices were used for this study. In addition, participants were required to own an FDA or Health Canada approved blood pressure measuring device. Advertisements were shown to 655,910 Fitbit users, of which 7,365 individuals expressed interest and filled out the initial survey. A total of 1,918 participants entered their blood pressure readings on at least 1 day and were considered enrolled in the study. Participants were instructed to download a guided mindful breathing app on their smartwatch device, and to engage with the app once a day prior to sleep. Participants measured their systolic and diastolic blood pressure prior to starting each mindful breathing session, and again after completion. All measurements were self reported. Participants were located in the United States or Canada.
Results: Values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced following mindful breathing. There was also a decrease in resting systolic and diastolic measurements when measured over several days. For participants with a systolic pressure ≥ 130 mmHg, there was a decrease of 9.7 mmHg following 15 min of mindful breathing at 6 breaths per minute. When measured over several days, the resting systolic pressure decreased by an average of 4.3 mmHg.
Discussion: Mindful breathing for 15 min a day, at a rate of 6 breaths per minute is effective in lowering blood pressure, and has both an immediate, and a short term effect (over several days). This large scale study demonstrates that device guided mindful breathing with a consumer wearable for 15 min a day is effective in lowering blood pressure, and a helpful complement to the standard of care.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |