The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that forest bathing would be beneficial for elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) as an adjunctive therapy. Two groups of participants with CHF were simultaneously sent to the forest or an urban control area for a four-day trip, respectively. Subjects exposed to the forest site showed a significant reduction of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in comparison to that of the city group and their own baseline levels. The values for the cardiovascular disease related pathological factors, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), and constituents of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including renin, angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II (ANGII), and ANGII receptor type 1 or 2 (AT1 or AT2) in subjects exposed to the forest environment were lower than those in the urban control group. Obviously, a decreased level of inflammatory cytokines and improved antioxidant function was observed in the forest group rather than in the city group. The assessment of the profile of mood states (POMS) indicated that the negative emotional mood state was alleviated after forest bathing. As anticipated, a better air quality in the forest site was observed according to the detection of PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm) and negative ions. These results provided direct evidence that forest bathing has a beneficial effect on CHF patients, and thus may pave the way for potential development of forest bathing as an effective adjunctive therapy on cardiovascular disorders.

Objectives: Increasing evidence demonstrates the benefits of forest environment on human health. However, the effect of tree-species-specific forest environment on human health was rarely studied. As one of the medical plants, cinnamomum camphora (C. camphora) have been found to possess anti-inflammatory activities. Thus, the present study explored the effects of C. camphora forest environment on elderly patients with hypertension (HTN). Study design: Cohort study. Methods: 31 elderly patients with essential HTN were randomly divided into two groups. Blood pressure (BP), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2%), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) and levels of plasma high-sensitive-reactive protein (hs-CRP), as well as profile of mood states (POMS) test, were measured. Categorical variables were compared by Chi-square analysis. T-test was used to compare continuous data. Results: After three-day/ two-night forest bathing, patients in the forest group showed significantly lower levels of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low frequency (LF), the ratio of low frequency and high frequency (LF/HF) and hs-CRP than in control group. However, levels of SpO2% and high frequency (HF) were greatly higher than control group. Furthermore, negative mood subscale scores of POMS were significantly lower following forest bathing, while the positive score was much higher. Conclusions: C. Camphora environment could significantly decrease the DBP and inflammatory level, balance the autonomic activity and improve the mood state of participates, implying it might be an adjunctive therapy for HTN patients.

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Forest bathing is receiving increased attention due to its health benefits for humans. However, knowledge is scarce about the adjunctive therapeutic effects of forest bathing in different seasons on geriatric hypertension. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the antihypertensive effects of forest bathing in a Cinnamomum camphora (C. camphora) forest environment in four seasons. One group of participants with geriatric hypertension was sent to a C. camphora forest to experience a 3 day trip, while, as a control, another group was sent to the urban center. The participants’ blood pressure, blood routine, and blood biochemistry were assessed. The profile of the mood states (POMS) of the participants was assessed before and after the experiment. The air quality, atmospheric environment, and content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the two experimental sites were monitored during the experiment. This experiment was repeated across four seasons. The advantages of the urban forest groups over the control groups were mainly represented by reductions in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate (HR), as well as increased oxygen saturation (SpO2). The antihypertensive effects of forest bathing in the C. camphora forest environment changed with the seasons. Compared with the baseline level, SBP and DBP declined after forest bathing across the whole year, except during winter, whereas SpO2 increased. The effect of forest bathing on lowering blood pressure was particularly pronounced during summer and autumn. The antihypertensive effects of forest bathing in the four seasons were highly consistent with the seasonal dynamics of VOCs and negative air ions (NAIs), which implies that the effect of forest bathing may be attributed to alterations of the atmospheric environment. The antihypertensive effects of C. camphora forest were confirmed in our study, and the results can provide a reference for scheduling bathing trips.