Abstract
BackgroundThe speed of physiological recovery from stress may be a marker for cardiovascular disease risk. Stress management programs that incorporate guided breathing have been shown to moderate the stress response and augment recovery.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an app-based brief relaxation intervention (BioBase) for facilitating physiological recovery in individuals exposed to a brief psychological stressor.MethodsA total of 75 participants (44 women) completed a stressor speech task and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: control, rumination, or an app-based relaxation breathing (BioBase) conditions. Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed as a measure of autonomic function at baseline (6 min), during stress (6 min), and during recovery (6 min).ResultsThere was a significant increase in subjective stress following stress exposure, but the ratings returned to baseline after recovery in all three groups. In addition, there was a significant decrease in vagally mediated HRV in the poststress period. During recovery, the root mean square of successive differences (P<.001), the percentage of successive interbeat (RR) intervals that differ by >50 ms (pNN50; P<.001), and high-frequency (P<.02) HRV were significantly higher in the BioBase breathing condition than the rumination and control conditions. There was no difference in HRV values between the rumination and control conditions during recovery.ConclusionsApp-based relaxed breathing interventions could be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. These results provide additional utility of biofeedback breathing in augmenting physiological recovery from psychological stress.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of premature death and disability in most westernized countries and accounts for approximately 30% of deaths worldwide [1]
As individual differences in stress response could influence the findings, following previous research [9], we treated reactivity as a covariate to statistically remove the influence of reactivity on recovery
The main finding of this study was that physiological recovery following stress exposure was enhanced in individuals who were guided through the BioBase breathing condition
Summary
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of premature death and disability in most westernized countries and accounts for approximately 30% of deaths worldwide [1]. Its risk factors include genetic and congenital defects as well as behavioral factors such as diet, exercise, and smoking [2] Another major risk factor for cardiac disease is mental stress [3,4]; mental stressors are known to cause physiological and psychological changes due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic withdrawal [5]. These changes include increased heart rate; respiration; and production of various biological stress markers including adrenaline, cortisol, and alpha-amylase. Conclusions: App-based relaxed breathing interventions could be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease risk These results provide additional utility of biofeedback breathing in augmenting physiological recovery from psychological stress
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