Beyond Medications and Diet: Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure

Abstract

Abstract-Many antihypertensive medications and lifestyle changes are proven to reduce blood pressure. Over the past few decades, numerous additional modalities have been evaluated in regard to their potential blood pressure-lowering abilities. However, these nondietary, nondrug treatments, collectively called alternative approaches, have generally undergone fewer and less rigorous trials. This American Heart Association scientific statement aims to summarize the blood pressure-lowering efficacy of several alternative approaches and to provide a class of recommendation for their implementation in clinical practice based on the available level of evidence from the published literature. The American Heart Association makes every effort to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of an outside relationship or a personal, professional, or business interest of a member of the writing panel. Specifically, all members of the writing group are required to complete and submit a Disclosure Questionnaire showing all such relationships that might be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest. Expert peer review of AHA Scientific Statements is conducted by the AHA Office of Science Operations. For more on AHA statements and guidelines development, visit http://my.americanheart.org/statements and select the "Policies and Development" link.

Blood pressure responses after a session of functional training in young adults and the elderly: a pilot study

“…Among these, one can mention alternative techniques -such as meditation, relaxation therapies, and psychological education ('biofeedback techniques') -and techniques involving exercisesaerobic, anaerobic, yoga [16], and circuit-type [27,28]. The former ones, although they do not confer adverse risks to participants, are bound with several methodological weaknesses (small sample size, heterogeneous results and protocols, and lack of appropriate control groups) that prevent practical recommendations to be formulated for hypertensive populations [16,29]. On the other hand, the exercise techniques, which comprise a wide variety of methods/types, have acquired consolidated body of evidence referring to the prevention/minimization of higher BP [17].…”

“…Studies of cardiovascular post-exercise responses have focused mainly on aerobic and resistance training bouts. There is substantial evidence showing that BP decreases following these dynamic exercises, a phenomenon called post-exercise hypotension (PEH) [16]. It is well accepted that cardiovascular responses are influenced by training variables, such as exercise execution time (or number of repetitions), load, muscle mass recruited and type of contraction [15,17,18].…”

Effects of device-guided slow breathing training on exercise capacity, cardiac function and respiratory patterns during sleep in male and female patients with chronic heart failure

“…This device guides the breathing exercise through visual and acoustic feedback, and its application has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a potentially useful nonpharmacologic approach for lowering blood pressure. 6 The use of SBT has also been shown to be a feasible treatment option in the framework of the home -based rehabilitation of patients with CHF.…”

Hypotension and heart rate variability after resistance exercise performed maximal and submaximal order

“…Corroborando o impacto de tais métodos, organizações de relevância mundial emitem seus pareceres discursando sobre a importância desses tratamentos. Dentro de tal cenário, o exercício físico parece ocupar local de destaque (American College of Sports Medicine [ACSM], 2004;Brook et al, 2013).…”