RCT of Effects of Device-guided Breathing on Ambulatory BP

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Hypertension
• Interventions: Behavioral: Relaxation; Device: RESPeRate

• Registration Number: NCT01184755
• Lead Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Brief Summary

Our aim is to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a guided breathing intervention on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), both systolic and diastolic BP. There are 3 groups: 1) Intervention group instructed to use the RESPeRate device that guides the breath into the 6 breaths/minute range daily for 8 weeks. 2) Relaxation control condition (using a modified device to guide breathing at 13 breaths/minute rate); and 3) Usual Care (UC). After the initial 8 week trial, the main outcome, the intervention group will be randomly assigned to stop using the RESPeRate device or to continue using it for 8 more weeks.

Detailed Description

Device-guided breathing is a behavioral intervention that guides the breathing into the 6 per minute range, inducing respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA), which is the natural cycle of arrythmia that occurs through the influence of breathing on the flow of sympathetic and vagus impulses to the sinoatrial node of the heart. It has been shown in several small trials to have substantial effects on BP reduction, has no known side-effects, and may represent a cost-effective adjunctive treatment for hypertension. an important consideration is that, often, behavioral interventions are given for a brief amount of time, but are expected to have long-term effects. This does not hold true for medication; one would not give anti-hypertensive medication for eight weeks and expect an effect on BP several months later. The development of behavioral interventions needs to take into account methods to sustain long-term effects.

Our aim is to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a guided breathing intervention on ambulatory BP (ABP) in hypertensives drawn from primary care and specialty hypertension practices, using a sample size powered to detect effects at 8 weeks and 4-month follow-up. The design calls for two control groups: Usual Care (UC) and a relaxation control condition (using a device that gives the same type of feedback sounds as the guided breathing feedback device, but modified to pace the breathing at approximately 13 breaths per minute, a normal resting rate.) The intervention condition has participants use the RESPeRate device that guides the breath into the 6 breaths/minute range. The initial intervention lasts eight weeks, following which participants are further randomized to either: 1) ending the intervention; of 2) continuing the intervention for the next 8 weeks. The main outcomes are the change at 8 weeks in systolic and diastolic BP (measured by Ambulatory BP monitoring) during the waking hours. Outcomes are measured at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. The primary outcomes are BP results at 8 weeks, with a 3-group comparison of the intervention group, the relaxation control group and usual care.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-05
• Study First Submitted: 2010-08-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2010-08-17
• Study First Posted: 2010-08-19
• Primary Completion: 2014-07
• Study Completion: 2014-07
• Results First Submitted: 2017-01-11
• Status Verified: 2017-04
• Results First Submitted QC: 2017-04-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-04-11
• Results First Posted: 2017-05-16
• Last Update Posted: 2017-05-16

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 253

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of Hypertension
• Treated with at least one antihypertensive drug
• BP still not controlled (>135/85 on Ambulatory BP waking average)

Exclusion Criteria

• Diabetes
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Pregnancy

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Relaxation control device	Relaxation	Participants use modified device to pace breathing in the 13/minute range for daily practice for 8 weeks and no device thereafter
Resperate device used for 8 weeks	RESPeRate	Participants to use Resperate device to guide breathing for 8 weeks. After the primary 8-week trial, this group is divided into two subgroups to examine 16-week data: one subgroup that stops using the device after 8 weeks, and one asked to continue to use the device for the full 16 weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Systolic and Diastolic BP Measured by Ambulatory BP Monitoring (Waking Averages)	8 weeks	The primary outcome for this study is the change in systolic and diastolic BP measured by Ambulatory BP monitoring at 8-weeks. The measure is the waking mean BP.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Columbia University Medical Center; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States

UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; 🇺🇸 New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States