Progressive Muscle Relaxation Outperforms Slow Deep Breathing in Reducing Mean Arterial and Systolic Blood Pressure Among Elderly Adults

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: Aging is associated with declining physiological function, increased risk of hypertension, and heightened fall risk in the elderly. Physiotherapy interventions such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and Slow Deep Breathing (SDB) have shown potential in managing blood pressure. Previous studies suggest that MAP may be a more critical parameter for assessing cardiovascular function and fall risk, especially in the elderly. Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of PMR and SDB in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the elderly.Material and methods: A quantitative, quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design was conducted, involving 48 elderly participants randomized into PMR and SDB groups. Blood pressure parameters (SBP, DBP, and MAP) were measured daily before and after each intervention over seven days. Data were analyzed using dependent and independent sample t-tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.Result: Both PMR and SDB significantly reduced SBP, DBP, and MAP in elderly participants (p < 0.05). However, PMR achieved more significant reductions in SBP (p = 0.017) and MAP (p = 0.041) compared to SDB. These findings suggest that PMR is more effective than SDB in lowering blood pressure parameters.Conclusions: While both PMR and SDB are beneficial for managing blood pressure in the elderly, PMR's superior efficacy on lowering MAP makes it a promising intervention for reducing fall risk and promoting cardiovascular health.