Blood pressure and purdue pegboard scores in individuals with hypertension after alternate nostril breathing, breath awareness, and no intervention

Abstract

BackgroundPreviously alternate nostril yoga breathing (anuloma-viloma pranayama) was shown to reduce the blood pressure (BP) in people with hypertension. An elevated BP has been associated with poor performance in certain tasks requiring attention and co-ordination. The Purdue pegboard task assesses manual dexterity and eye-hand co-ordination.Material/MethodsIn the present study there were ninety participants with essential hypertension. Their ages ranged from 20 to 59 years (group average age ±S.D., 49.7±9.5 years; sixty males). Participants were randomized as three groups, with thirty participants in each group. One group practiced alternate nostril yoga breathing for 10 minutes, the second group practiced breath awareness for the same duration and the third group was given a control intervention (i.e., reading a magazine with neutral content). Assessments were taken before and after the interventions for participants of the three groups. Assessments included the blood pressure and performance in the Purdue pegboard task. Data were analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc analyses were Bonferroni adjusted.ResultsFollowing alternate nostril breathing (ANYB) there was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001 and p<0.05), and an improvement in Purdue pegboard task scores for both hands (p<0.05), and for the right hand (p<.001). Breath awareness (the control session) also showed a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (p<0.05). The right hand scores improved in the group reading a magazine (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe results suggest that the immediate effect of ANYB is to reduce the BP while improving the performing in a task requiring attention, bimanual dexterity and visuo-motor co-ordination.

Effect on Time Domain Parameters of HRV after Slow Breathing Exercise in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…Yoga based slow breathing exercise might increase vagal tone which shift sympathovagal balance towards parasympathetic predominance 9,[12][13][14][17][18]27 .Moreover SBE might also increases baroreflex sensitivity 28,29 .…”

“…Many researchers had also seen improvement in cardiac autonomic nerve function status in many diseased conditions like asthma, essential hypertention including type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after practicing yoga based exercise [14][15][16][17][18] .On the contrary, some other group of investigators reported almost no significant change in cardiac autonomic balance after slow breathing exercise in healthy subject 19 .…”

Alternate nostril breathing: a systematic review of clinical trials

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Eleven studies included subjects who were practitioners of breathing exercises and other components of yoga. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Their experience ranged from seven days to eighty-six months. Twenty-six studies did not provide details regarding prior yoga experience.…”

“…Eighteen studies used technique which requires one nostril to breath in and opposite to breath out (for example, left nostril to breath in and right nostril to breath out, followed by right nostril to breath in and left nostril to breath out). 4,6,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]30,[32][33][34][35][36] Seven of these studies did not specify which nostril was blocked first or if they started with inhalation or exhalation. 6,15,16,19,22,30,36 In 14 studies, subjects were asked to hold their breath and/or were given specific duration for inhalation, breath retention and exhalation phase (Table 1 for details) while performing ANB.…”

“…4,6,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]30,[32][33][34][35][36] Seven of these studies did not specify which nostril was blocked first or if they started with inhalation or exhalation. 6,15,16,19,22,30,36 In 14 studies, subjects were asked to hold their breath and/or were given specific duration for inhalation, breath retention and exhalation phase (Table 1 for details) while performing ANB. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]27,29,31,[37][38][39][40][41] Six studies included the following pattern: breathe out through left nostril, then breathe in through right nostril and repeat this pattern once, twice or three times, before switching the nostrils to breathe out through right nostril, breathe in through left nostril and repeat this once, twice or three times before switching again.…”