Effectiveness of Abdominal Breathing Exercise on Biological Parameters among Hypertensive Patients at Selected Tertiary Care Hospital, Mangaluru, India

Abstract

Introduction: High blood pressure, also known as Hypertension (HTN) is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries remains consistently high. HTN rates in India are expected to rise. Abdominal breathing exercise activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and dilates blood vessels, reducing overall blood pressure. Aim: To find out the effectiveness of abdominal breathing exercise on biological parameter among hypertensive patients. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental time series design study was conducted at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India, from February 2021 to March 2021. A total of 60 samples were selected, with 30 samples in each of the control and experimental groups. Abdominal breathing exercise was given for 5-10 minutes about 3-4 times a day for seven days after the pretest of biological parameter assessment. Data was collected for three alternative days. The tools used were demographic proforma and clinical assessment proforma. Unpaired t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: About 53.3% of the participants in the control group were males as compared to 66.7% in experimental group. The mean value of pretest Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and the Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) had no significant difference (p>0.05). However, after the abdominal exercises, there was significant difference in the mean SBP (p=0.01), DBP (p=0.01), Pulse Rate (p=0.05), Respiratory Rate (RR) (p=0.01) in experimental group when compared to control group. Conclusion: The study concluded that abdominal breathing exercise reduced BP, HR and RR among hypertensive patients and it is an effective technique to reduce BP, PR and respiration.