Effects of self breathing exercise on heart rate and systolic blood pressure in adults: a Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective To review the effects of self breathing exercise (SBE) on heart rate and systolic blood pressure in adults. Methods We electronically searched databases including CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), MEDLINE, EMbase, PEDro, OVID, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and CBM from the establishment of database to November 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of VBE and references. Two researchers assessed data according to PEDro, and the effective data was used by Meta analysis which met the including criteria. The statistical analysis used RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 5 RCTs were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the effects of VBE on heart rate and systolic blood pressure in adults was statistically significant compared with control group (P<0.05). Conclusions The self breathing excise can decline adult heart rate and systolic blood pressure with low adverse effects, and it is easy to operate and is a favorable physical therapy method, which can be recommended to self health care and disease rehabilitation nursing. Key words: Meta-analysis; Self breathing exercise; Heart rate; Systolic blood pressure