Effects of long term device-guided slow breathing on sympathetic nervous activity in hypertensive patients: a randomized open-label clinical trial.

Purpose: Device-guided slow breathing (DGB) is indicated as nonpharmacological treatment for hypertension. The sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) reduction may be one of the mechanisms involved in blood pressure (BP) decrease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term use of DGB in BP and SNA.

Effects of estrogen therapy and aerobic training on sympathetic activity and hemodynamics in healthy postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the isolated and associated effects of aerobic training and estrogen therapy on sympathetic nerve activity and hemodynamics in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods: Forty-five postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 51 [3] y) were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary-placebo (SED-PLA; n = 11), sedentary-estrogen therapy (SED-ET; n = 14), aerobic training-placebo (AT-PLA; n = 12), and aerobic training-estrogen therapy (AT-ET; n = 8). The ET groups received oral estradiol valerate (1 mg/d), whereas the PLA groups received placebo.

Sympathetic nerve activity is decreased during device-guided slow breathing.

It is known that slow breathing (<10 breaths min(-1)) reduces blood pressure (BP), but the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are not completely clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute responses of the muscle sympathetic nerve activity, BP and heart rate (HR), using device-guided slow breathing (breathe with interactive music (BIM)) or calm music. In all, 27 treated mild hypertensives were enrolled.

Low-dose estrogen therapy does not change postexercise hypotension, sympathetic nerve activity reduction, and vasodilation in healthy postmenopausal women.

The aim of this study was to determine whether estrogen therapy enhances postexercise muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) decrease and vasodilation, resulting in a greater postexercise hypotension. Eighteen postmenopausal women received oral estrogen therapy (ET; n=9, 1 mg/day) or placebo (n=9) for 6 mo. They then participated in one 45-min exercise session (cycle ergometer at 50% of oxygen uptake peak) and one 45-min control session (seated rest) in random order.