Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and breath control can help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term—but it’s unclear if the effects last.
A large analysis found modest benefits across many methods, but the data was often low quality, and long-term impacts weren’t well studied. While the findings are promising, experts say we need more rigorous and longer-term research to know whether these calming methods truly work against high blood pressure in the long run.
Short-Term Calm, Long-Term Unknowns
Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure in the short term, but their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain, according to a pooled analysis of existing studies published today (April 9) in BMJ Medicine.
The researchers caution that many of the studies included in the analysis had a high risk of bias. As a result, they emphasize the need for more rigorous, longer-term research to determine whether these techniques can play a reliable role in managing high blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects roughly one in three adults aged 30 to 79 and is a leading cause of death for both men and women.
Although medications are available to treat the condition, many people struggle to stick with them. This has led to growing interest in alternative approaches, like relaxation techniques, to target one key risk factor for high blood pressure: stress.
What Counts as Relaxation?
However, it’s still unclear which techniques, such as breath control, mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi, or biofeedback, are most effective.
To build on the evidence base, the researchers scoured research databases for studies, published in English up to February 2024 that looked at the potential impact of relaxation techniques on high blood pressure (140/90 mm Hg and above) and elevated blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg and above).
They included 182 studies, 166 of which looked at high blood pressure, and 16 of which looked at elevated blood pressure (pre-hypertension).
The Power of Meta-Analysis
Where possible, the researchers deployed network meta-analysis, a statistical technique used to simultaneously compare the effects of several different ‘treatments’.
The pooled results of 54 studies showed that most relaxation techniques seemed to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure for people with high blood pressure after 3 or fewer months. The most commonly included interventions were breath control (13 studies), yoga/tai chi (11), biofeedback (8), progressive muscle relaxation (7), and music (7).
Blood Pressure Drops by Technique
Compared with no intervention, breath control achieved a reduction of 6.65 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (the first and higher number in a blood pressure reading), meditation a drop of 7.71 mm Hg, meditative movement, such as tai chi and yoga, a drop of 9.58 mm Hg, and mindfulness a drop of 9.90 mm Hg.
Music was also associated with a fall of 6.61 mm Hg, progressive muscle relaxation with a fall of 7.46 mm Hg, and psychotherapy with a reduction of 9.83 mm Hg. Combined techniques were associated with a drop of 6.78 mm Hg in blood pressure.
There was no statistical evidence of effectiveness for any technique after 3 to 12 months and the certainty of the evidence was very low. The most commonly included techniques at this time point were biofeedback (7 studies), yoga/tai chi (4), and progressive muscle relaxation (4).
Long-Term Effects? Evidence Is Thin
Very few studies included long-term follow-up of 12 months or more, and of the 3 included in the network analysis, the results showed that compared with no treatment autogenic (self-directed) training might lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the certainty of the evidence was low.
There was no statistical evidence of effectiveness for other treatments assessed at this time point, including biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, and techniques involving a combined approach.
Limited data were available for elevated blood pressure: only two studies compared relaxation techniques with no treatment/usual care and the effects on systolic blood pressure were small.
The researchers note that the descriptions of relaxation interventions were sometimes incomplete or sparse, there were few data on costs and cost-effectiveness, and most of the included studies didn’t report information on the risk of cardiovascular disease/events/deaths.
Encouraging but Inconclusive
However, they suggest: “The results of our systematic review and network meta-analysis indicate that relaxation or stress management techniques might result in meaningful reductions in blood pressure at up to three months of follow-up.”
But they caution: “Uncertainty exists about this effect, however, because of the risk of bias in the primary studies, the potential for publication bias in this area, and imprecision in the effect estimates, meaning that the observed changes in blood pressure might be too small to affect cardiovascular or cerebrovascular outcomes.”
Long-Term Change Still Needed
And they add: “Hypertension is a chronic condition, likely to require long-term drug treatments or behavioral changes. As such, interventions that are used for a brief period, or provide only short-term benefits, are unlikely to be clinically useful.
“Too few studies exist, however, to assess whether the beneficial effects of relaxation are maintained when the techniques are practiced for longer than three months. Future studies must clearly report whether participants were still using relaxation methods at the time of the outcome assessment, with details on adherence to the relaxation schedule. These factors might strongly influence the effectiveness of the different relaxation and stress management techniques.”
Reference: “Effectiveness of stress management and relaxation interventions for management of hypertension and prehypertension: systematic review and network meta-analysis” by Katie E Webster, Monika Halicka, Russell J Bowater, Thomas Parkhouse, Dara Stanescu, Athitya Vel Punniyakotty, Jelena Savović, Alyson Huntley, Sarah Dawson, Christopher E Clark, Rachel Johnson, Julian PT Higgins and Deborah M Caldwell, 8 April 2025, BMJ Medicine.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjmed-2024-001098
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1 Comment
Quit trying to conceptualize everything, especially a technology for life and presence. Not everything can be quantified and measured – they are to be EXPERIENCED joyfully, like life!