Breathing exercises for blood pressure — the real numbers

Claim

BREATHING LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE?

Catch

SMALL TRIALS

Verdict

A CLUE, NOT A CURE

The study: 15 RCTs searched in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Cochrane from 2017 to 2022. Breathing exercises included pranayama, deep breathing, and slow breathing.

Breathing exercises significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by 7.06 mmHg (95% CI -10.20 to -3.92, P less than 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure by 3.43 mmHg (95% CI -4.89 to -1.97, P less than 0.01). Heart rate dropped by 2.41 beats per minute (P = 0.03).

But that's a modest drop. For context, typical blood pressure medication lowers systolic by 10 to 15 mmHg. Breathing is helpful, but not a replacement for standard treatment.

The catch: fifteen small trials of short duration. High heterogeneity between studies. The authors note breathing exercises should complement, not replace, standard care.

SOURCES

1. Garg P, Mendiratta A, Banga A, et al. Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk Prevention. 2024
2. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232. PROSPERO: CRD42022316413.

For information only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing any treatment.

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