Treating Hypertension With Breath Control

Penang Hospital, Malaysia84 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine if blood pressure can be reduced in hypertensive subjects by regularising and slowing their breathing. This may be a safe and affordable complementary treatment for hypertension.

This is a randomised controlled trial in which hypertensive subjects allocated to receive either a CD with relaxation music or one with the same music plus certain sound cues to guide the listener on when to breathe. The subjects will continue with their normal medications and the intervention will last 2 months.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Hypertension

Interventions

Breath controlBEHAVIORAL

A music CD with sound cues is used to guide the subject to breathe in a regular and slower rate. This is practiced for at least 15 minutes a day over 2 months.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 19 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Above 18 years old * Patients with essential hypertension * Systolic BP from 140 to 159 mm Hg * Diastolic BP from 90 to 99 mm Hg * On hypertensive medication for at least 3 months before the study * Hypertensive medication unchanged during the 3 months before the study * Patients able to fill in a log sheet Exclusion Criteria: * ischaemic heart disease * congestive heart failure * cardiac arrhythmias * renal failure * diabetes mellitus * previous stroke * major organ failure * cigarette smoking * respiratory diseases * psychiatric disorders * severe obesity (BMI \>35 kg/m2) * hearing impairment * unable to operate a CD player or do not have access to a CD player * arm circumference \<22 cm. or \>42 cm.

Locations (1)

Ng Kum Keong

George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Diastolic blood pressure

Change in diastolic blood pressure from baseline to end value at 2 months.

Time frame: 2 months

Secondary Outcomes

Systolic blood presure

Change in systolic blood pressure from baseline to end value at 2 months.

Time frame: 2 months

Central Contacts

Kum Keong Ng, MBBS

CONTACT

6042225761 ngkk@crc.gov.my

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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