Learned control of blood pressure in patients wiith high blood pressure

Five patients with documented histories of essential hypertension of at least 10 year's duration, participated in a triphasic study of training to control systolic blood pressure (SBP). Phase 1 was a 7 wk period during which patients took their BP (systolic and diastolic) at home, and mailed these data to the laboratory daily. Phase 2 was a 3 wk period during which patients were taught to control SBP using a noninvasive technique: patients were trained to raise, to lower and to alternately lower and raise SBP. Phase 3 was a 3 mth period during which patients again took their BP at home and mailed these data to the laboratory daily. All patients learned SBP control (average increase, 15%; average decrease, 11%); during SBP control heart rates, breathing rates, triceps brachii muscle tension and EEG activity did not change; follow up tests at 1 and 3 mth showed evidence of retained SBP control; baseline SBP fell from 153 mm Hg during laboratory training, to 135 mm Hg at the 3 mth follow up; phase 3 home BPs fell 18/8 mm Hg from phase 1 levels; at home, patients also were able to reduce SBP from 141 mm Hg (average) to 125 mm Hg (average) by means of the lowering technique learned in the laboratory.