Abstract
BACKGROUND: Elderly are a vulnerable population with an increased risk of hypertension-related cardiovascular mortality. Yog involving various asan, pranayam and meditation has been shown to decrease blood pressure in adults, but studies involving only elderly participants, practicing pranayam and meditation at home through a mobile guided system are lacking. PURPOSE: To study the efficacy of home-based mobile-guided pranayam and meditation in the management of hypertension in the elderly. METHODS: The present study was carried out at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh. Trial was started after registration in Clinical trial registration India (https://www./ctri.nic.in), CTRI number - CTRI/2021/03/031631. 105 eligible participants were allocated to two arms (ratio 1:1). The Control arm was provided with the standard treatment (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) as per 2017 AHA/ACC guidelines for hypertension, for 24 weeks. The intervention arm was given the standard treatment along with mobile-guided pranayam and yog nidra meditation at home, for 24 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and sleep quality were assessed at baseline and after 24 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: After 24 weeks, the intervention group exhibited a statistically significant reduction in SBP (decrease of 4.7 mmHg) compared to the control arm. Additionally, the intervention arm reported a significant improvement in sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Study results indicate that home-based mobile-guided pranayam and yog nidra meditation are a valuable adjunct to the standard hypertension treatment in elderly individuals, not only lowering blood pressure but also enhancing sleep quality.