Abdullah A. Alabdulgader
Prince Sultan Cardiac Centre, Saudi Arabia
Title: Modulation of heart rate variability: A novel nonpharmacological modality for lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients
Biography
Biography: Abdullah A. Alabdulgader
Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of teaching emotional self-regulation techniques supported by heart rhythm coherence pattern (Heart Rate Variability modulation (HRV)) training as a means to quickly lower blood pressure (BP) in patients diagnosed with hypertension. To the best of our knowledge, an investigation of their ability to produce immediate reductions in BP had not been published in the medical literature. The study was a randomized controlled design with 62 hypertensive participants who were divided into three groups. An analysis of covariates was conducted to compare the effectiveness of three different interventions on reducing the participants’ BP. The modulation of HRV to coherence pattern was associated with a significantly greater reduction in mean arterial pressure in the two groups who used the intervention as compared with the relaxation-plus-medication group. Additionally, the group not taking medication that used the intervention also had a significantly greater reduction in systolic BP than the relaxation- plus-medication group. These results suggest that self-regulation techniques that incorporate the intentional generation of positive emotions to facilitate a shift into the psycho-physiological coherence state are an effective approach to lowering BP. Change in the physiological set-point for homeostatic regulation of BP is thought to be the underlying mechanism. Further studies should examine if large scale implementations of such heart-based coherence techniques could have a significant impact on reducing risk of mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients.