Effect of slow diaphragmatic breathing technique on heart rate, blood pressure and peripheral oxygen saturation in hypertensive elderly

• Autor(a) principal: Catela, David
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Mercê, Cristiana
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/3226
• topic: breathing technique; elderly; blood pressure; peripheral oxygen saturation

Slow breathing can be used as a complement for hypertension treatment. The aim of the study was to verify the effect of a breathing technique on cardiac autonomic function in elderly (N = 22, 76.36 ± 7.93 years old, 13 women); thirteen had optimal to Normal High Blood Pressure (ONH group) and nine had Mild to Moderate Isolated Systolic Pressure (MMS group). In both groups, vital signs were collected in two breathing conditions: i) Baseline (B)- participants breath at their normal pace; ii) Diaphragmatic (D)- participants breath at a slow pace, predominantly abdominal. Considering all participants, results revealed that during D condition Respiratory Frequency (RF) and Heart Rate Frequency (HR) were significantly reduced, and Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO2), High Frequency (HF) and Heart Rate Variability Index (HRVi) significantly augmented, a significant reduction of. In D condition, both groups significantly augmented SpO2. Additionally, in B condition, MMS group had significantly less SpO2 than ONH group; but, in D condition no significant difference was found between groups. Similarly, in B condition, MMS group had significantly higher Diastolic Pressure (DP), but in D condition no significant difference was found between groups. Also, compared to B condition, in D condition MMS group significantly reduced Systolic Pressure (SP), DP and Pulse (P- the difference between SP and DP). Consequently, during the D breathing, MMS subjects benefited of better blood pressure and peripheral oxygenation conditions, with probable enhancement of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Results of this study support the hypothesis that an easily learned diaphragmatic breathing technique, inexpensive and non-intrusive, can help elderly with isolated systolic hypertension, to remediate its effects on vital signs, as a non-clinical complementary treatment.