Relaxation techniques can help reduce short -term blood pressure, according to new research published in BMJ Medicine, but their long -term effects remain vague.
A new study analyzing existing research has suggested that techniques such as breath control and meditation could offer an alternative approach for those who fight with drugs.
High blood pressure affects approximately a third of 30 to 79 year olds worldwide, putting these people at risk of stroke.
For meta-analysis, scientists have traveled databases for studies published in English until February 2024 which examined relaxation techniques for high blood pressure.
Blood pressure reductions reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events Getty
They included 182 studies with 166 focusing on high blood pressure and 16 on high blood pressure, using the meta-analysis of the network to simultaneously compare the effects of different techniques.
The results grouped of 54 studies have shown that most relaxation techniques have lowered blood pressure after three months or less.
Termination of the breath carried out a reduction of 6.65 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure, while meditation showed a drop of 7.71 mm Hg.
More impressive results came from meditative movements such as tai-chi and yoga (9.58 mm Hg fall) and mindfulness (9.90 mm Hg drop). Music and progressive muscle relaxation have also shown advantages.
However, there was no statistical evidence of efficiency for any technique after three to 12 months, and the certainty of these evidence was very low.
The techniques most frequently studied at this time were biofeedback, yoga / tai-chi and progressive muscle relaxation.
Very few studies included long -term follow -up of 12 months or more, with only three inclusive in network analysis. The researchers noted that descriptions of relaxation interventions were often incomplete or rare in the studies they examined.
There were also limited data on the costs and profitability of these techniques and studies did not report information on the risk of cardiovascular diseases, events or deaths.
Blood pressure can reduce considerably with relaxation techniques
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The high risk of bias in primary studies and the publication bias potential have created uncertainty about the results.
The researchers suggested: “The results of our systematic review and our meta-analysis of the network indicate that relaxation or stress management techniques could cause significant blood pressure reductions up to three months of follow-up.”
However, they have warned that hypertension is a chronic condition probably requiring long -term treatments.
“It is unlikely that the interventions used for a brief period or bring only short -term advantages to be useful clinically.”