A new analysis published in BMJ Medicine suggests that relaxation techniques—such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga, and even music—can help reduce high blood pressure in the short term. However, the longer-term effects are still uncertain, and better-designed studies are needed to confirm their lasting value.
High blood pressure is one of the most common health issues worldwide, affecting about one in three adults aged 30 to 79. It is also a major contributor to deaths from heart disease and stroke.
While medications can help control blood pressure, many people struggle to take them consistently. This has led to growing interest in non-drug approaches, especially those that reduce stress, one of the key risk factors for high blood pressure.
Researchers reviewed 182 studies to assess how well different relaxation techniques work for people with either high blood pressure (above 140/90 mm Hg) or elevated blood pressure (above 120/80 mm Hg). These techniques included breath control, meditation, tai chi, yoga, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, music therapy, and others.
A statistical method called network meta-analysis allowed the researchers to compare the effectiveness of these different approaches against each other and against no treatment.
The short-term results were promising. For people with high blood pressure, most relaxation techniques appeared to reduce both systolic and diastolic pressure (the top and bottom numbers in a blood pressure reading) when used over a period of up to three months. Among the findings:
- Mindfulness showed an average drop of 9.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure.
- Meditative movement, like yoga or tai chi, led to a 9.58 mm Hg decrease.
- Psychotherapy and progressive muscle relaxation reduced systolic pressure by 9.83 mm Hg and 7.46 mm Hg, respectively.
- Breathing exercises, music, and combined techniques also showed moderate improvements.
These changes are similar in size to those seen with some blood pressure medications, suggesting that relaxation practices could be useful—especially for those who cannot tolerate drugs or want to try non-pharmaceutical options.
However, the benefits did not appear to last. When the researchers looked at studies that followed participants for longer—between 3 and 12 months—the improvements in blood pressure were no longer statistically significant for most techniques.
The certainty of the evidence was also very low, partly because of small sample sizes, unclear descriptions of the interventions, and potential biases in the original studies.
Only a few studies looked at the effects of these methods beyond a year, and just one technique—autogenic training (a form of self-directed relaxation)—showed any possible benefits. But even here, the evidence was not strong enough to draw firm conclusions.
In studies focusing on people with slightly raised blood pressure (but not yet high), the data were too limited to support any clear recommendations. Only two studies compared relaxation methods with standard care in this group, and the effects were small.
The researchers also noted that many of the studies failed to report important details, such as how often participants actually practiced the techniques, the costs involved, or whether there were any effects on major health outcomes like heart attacks or strokes.
In summary, this review suggests that relaxation techniques may help lower blood pressure in the short term—but we still don’t know if they can keep it down over time.
High blood pressure is a long-term condition, and any effective treatment needs to show benefits beyond a few months. The authors urge future researchers to conduct longer studies, track how well participants stick to their relaxation routines, and clearly report all outcomes.
For now, while practices like mindfulness, yoga, and deep breathing may be helpful tools—especially for reducing stress—people with high blood pressure should still work closely with their healthcare providers to manage their condition, possibly combining these techniques with medication and lifestyle changes for the best results.
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The research findings can be found in BMJ Medicine.
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