Stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevation. It stimulates nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones, which increase blood pressure. Early studies demonstrate that heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) sessions reduce the perceived stress. Our aim was to investigate whether HRV-BF results have equivalent effects on autonomic cardiovascular responses control during stressful conditions in hypertensives.

For this study fifty men, ages 40 to 60, with stage 1 hypertension, were observed while taking antihypertensive drugs. The parameters of HRV before and after 20 HRV-BF sessions were measured.

After HRV-BF session total power (TP) of spectral density has changed due to parasympathetic system activation. TP has significantly changed from (1436±99,55) to (2843±334,3) ms2, (p<0,01), i.e. 1,98 times. As the result, spectral components grew significantly: HF (1,97 times), LF (1,92 times) and VLF (2,38 times), (p<0,05). VLF-component has undergone the greatest change, which points to the involvement of higher cortical and subcortical centers of the regulation with normalization of vegetative homeostasis, resulting from patients’state self-control.

HRV-BF sessions reduce stress index and normalize autonomic balance. It should be noted that although during HRV-BF sessions in this subgroup a significant decrease of heart rate was achieved (p<0,01), the average heart rate after the sessions still exceeds the normal values.