Pranayama Breathing and Uncontrolled Hypertension

Uncontrolled Hypertension Clinical Trial

Official title: Take a Deep Breath: Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Breathing Exercises on Blood Pressure

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This study will compare participants who have uncontrolled hypertension and perform a set of five breathing exercises (Pranayama breathing) to a control group. The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of the breathing exercises on reduction of blood pressure.

Clinical Trial Description

Untreated or uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Hypertension, is a modifiable risk factor that may be successfully treated using one or a combination of treatment options, including medication, diet, exercise, tobacco cessation, or complementary and alternative medicine such as breathing exercises. A well-established cascade of adverse health outcomes are associated with hypertension as well as increased mortality rates. For patient-centered care, providing patients with additional strategies for their health care also has the potential to empower the patient, augment patient-physician team approach to the patient's health care, and support the standards of care for treating hypertension. As explained by McCaffrey et al from their focus group work with patients, "Participants do not want prescription medications except as a last resort and feel that conventional medicine overemphasizes prescription medicines. This may be because of a combination of factors including distrust in conventional medicine, fear of side effects from medicines, and an underlying belief that the body can heal itself given the right nutrition, rest, and time"

Using a randomized controlled trial study design with a 1-month and 3-month follow-up, the investigators hypothesize that practicing breathing at least 5 times per week will show a mean reduction in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures in uncontrolled hypertensive patients compared to control patients. Participants will be randomized into one of three arms of the study. For the intervention arm, participants will be either assigned to a weekly class for the pranayama breathing instruction and practice or given a DVD that contains instructions on the breathing exercises and the 15-minute practice session. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypertension
• Uncontrolled Hypertension

• NCT number: NCT03320577
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Missouri-Columbia
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 1, 2016
• Completion date: June 8, 2017