Tall blood pressureAlso known as hypertension, it is often called an “invisible killer” because it increases the risk of heart disease no obvious warning signs. Given its prevalence (around one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure), researchers are actively looking for new ways to tackle an old problem. It’s well known that diet can help reduce hypertension, but a unique approach has also been discovered: high-endurance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST).
Developed in the 1980s as a way to help critically ill respiratory patients strengthen the diaphragm and other inspiratory (breathing) muscles, IMST involves inhaling vigorously through a handheld device that provides resistance. Imagine sucking hard through a tube that sucks back.
Initially, when prescribed for respiratory disorders, doctors recommended a regimen of 30 minutes per day with low resistance.
But in recent years, Daniel Craighead, an integrative physiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, along with his colleagues, have been testing whether a more time-efficient protocol (30 puffs per day at high resistance, six days per week) also could generate cardiovascular benefits, cognitive improvements and sports performance.
In a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Heart AssociationProfessor Craighead and colleagues recruited 36 healthy adults aged 50 to 79 years with higher than normal systolic blood pressure (120 millimeters of mercury or more).
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“We found that not only is it more time-efficient than traditional exercise programs, but the benefits can be more long-lasting,” said Professor Craighead.
The treatment group also saw a 45 percent improvement in vascular endothelial function, or the ability of arteries to expand with stimulation, and a significant increase in levels of nitric oxide, a key molecule for dilating arteries and prevent plaque buildup. Nitric oxide levels naturally decline with age.
Markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, which can also increase heart attack risk, were significantly lower after the people underwent IMST.
And surprisingly, those in the IMST group completed 95 percent of the sessions, suggesting that the practice is simple and fast enough to ensure adherence.
READ MORE: High blood pressure: Two drinks linked to ‘acute rise’ within 30 minutes of ingestion
get tested
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
“All adults over the age of 40 are recommended to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years,” says the NHS.
Doing this is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested in several places, including:
- At your GP’s office
- in some pharmacies
- As part of your NHS Health Check
- In some workplaces.
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