Abstract
Twenty-nine patients who had been treated with antihypertensive medication for at least the preceding 6 months were randomly assigned to (1) therapistconducted, face-to-face progressive, deep-muscle relaxation training for 10 weekly sessions, or (2) progressive deep-muscle relaxation therapy conducted mainly by home use of audio cassettes, or (3) nonspecific individual psychotherapy for 10 weekly sessions. No differences between the groups were found immediately after therapy; however, the therapist-conducted relaxation therapy group showed the greatest changes: −17.8 mm Hg systolic, −9.7 mm Hg diastolic at 6 months follow-up. Some significant trends in results among the three therapists were also found. No correlation existed between blood pressure changes and changes in dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DbH) levels.
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Brauer, A.P., Horlick, L., Nelson, E. et al. Relaxation therapy for essential hypertension: A veterans administration outpatient study. J Behav Med 2, 21–29 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00846560
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00846560