The Effects of Short-Term Relaxation Therapy on Indices of Heart Rate Variability and Blood Pressure in Young Adults

Abstract

Purpose.

Assessment of short-term practice of relaxation therapy on autonomic and cardiovascular functions in first-year medical students.

Design.

Case-control, interventional study.

Setting.

Medical college laboratory.

Subjects.

Sixty-seven medical students, divided into two groups: study group (n = 35) and control group (n = 32).

Intervention.

Study group subjects practiced relaxation therapy (shavasana with a soothing background music) daily 1 hour for 6 weeks. Control group did not practice relaxation techniques.

Measures.

Cardiovascular parameters and spectral indices of heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded before and after the 6-week practice of relaxation therapy.

Analysis.

The data between the groups and the data before and after practice of relaxation techniques were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and Student t-test. In the study group, prediction of low-frequency to high-frequency ratio (LF-HF) of HRV, the marker of sympathovagal balance, to blood pressure (BP) status was assessed by logistic regression.

Results.

In the study group, there was significant reduction in heart rate (p = .0001), systolic (p = .0010) and diastolic (p = .0021) pressure, and rate pressure product (p < .0001), and improvement in HRV indices, following 6 weeks of relaxation therapy. As determined by regression model, prediction of LF-HF to BP status was more significant (odds ratio, 2.7; p = .009) after practice of relaxation therapy. There was no significant alteration in these parameters in control subjects.

Conclusion.

Short-term practice of relaxation therapy can improve autonomic balance and promote cardiovascular health of medical students. Sympathovagal balance is directly linked to BP status in these individuals.

Keywords

Relaxation Therapy Heart Rate Variability Sympathovagal Balance Cardiovascular Risk Blood Pressure Status Autonomic Functions Prevention Research Manuscript format: research Research purpose: intervention testing Study design: quasi-experimental Outcome measure: morbidity Setting: clinical/health care Health focus: stress management Strategy: built environment Target population age: youth Target population circumstances: all education levels,all income levels,all races/ethnicities

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