Randomized Controlled Trial for Salvia sclarea or Lavandula angustifolia: Differential Effects on Blood Pressure in Female Patients with Urinary Incontinence Undergoing Urodynamic Examination

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inhalation of Salvia sclarea (clary sage; clary) or Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil vapors on autonomic nervous system activity in female patients with urinary incontinence undergoing urodynamic assessment. Study design, location, and subjects: This study was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial carried out in 34 female patients with urinary incontinence. Outcome measure: The subjects were randomized to inhale lavender, clary, or almond (control) oil at concentrations of 5% (vol/vol) each. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and salivary cortisol were measured before and after inhalation of these odors for 60 minutes. Results: The clary oil group experienced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure compared with the control ( p = 0.048) and lavender oil ( p = 0.026) groups, a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure compared with the lavender oil group ( p = 0.034) and a significant decrease in respiratory rate compared with the control group ( p < 0.001). In contrast, the lavender oil group tended to increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the control group. Compared with the control group, inhalation of lavender oil ( p = 0.045) and clary oil ( p < 0.001) resulted in statistically significant reductions in respiratory rate. Conclusions: These results suggest that lavender oil inhalation may be inappropriate in lowering stress during urodynamic examinations, despite its antistress effects, while clary oil inhalation may be useful in inducing relaxation in female urinary incontinence patients undergoing urodynamic assessments.

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Oil and Its Active Constituent Linalyl Acetate Alleviate Pain and Urinary Residual Sense after Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Randomised Controlled Trial

“…Both total symptom (LUTS) score and satisfaction at urination tended to improve more in the lavender and linalyl acetate groups than in the control group. Intragroup differences in LUTS scores, particularly in urinary residual sense, in the lavender and linalyl acetate groups suggested that inhalation affected diuretic activity, consistent with a prior study assessing the effects on BP of the diuretic action of lavender oil, as shown by urodynamic testing for urinary incontinence in women [11]. Additionally, the sample size of the subgroups of this research was relatively small.…”

“…The main components of the lavender oil (Aromarant Co., Ltd., Rottingen, Germany), as determined by gas chromatography, were [11] linalyl acetate (38.5%), linalool (33.3%), caryophyllene (3.9%), myrcene (3.9%), trans-ocimene (2.4%), lavandulyl acetate (2.2%), and terpinen-4-ol (2.1%).…”

“…Inhaled lavender oil has been shown to have relaxant effects on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles of guinea pigs and urinary bladder muscles of white mice, with their anticonvulsant activities involving cyclic AMP-dependent pathways [10]. Furthermore, an urodynamic investigation targeting female patients with urinary incontinence found that inhalation of lavender scent did not mitigate stresses induced by diuretic activity [11]. Studies with clary sage and lavender oils, the main constituent of which was linalyl acetate, showed that inhalation of clary sage oil provided pain relief to patients with periodontitis and efficiently controlled systolic blood pressure and heart rate [12].…”

Effects of Bergamot (<b><i>Citrus bergamia</i></b> (Risso) Wright &#38; Arn.) Essential Oil Aromatherapy on Mood States, Parasympathetic Nervous System Activity, and Salivary Cortisol Levels in 41 Healthy Females

“…Our findings are also in good accordance with similar results observed for a combination of aromatherapy and other medicinal plants: In a current research project on 35 female subjects [30,]inhaling the odor of saffron volatile oil for 20 min led to a decrease of both cortisol and anxiety level. In a most recent double-blind, randomized controlled trial [31], the effects of inhaling Salvia sclarea or Lavandula angustifolia essential oil with water vapor on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and CS were investigated in 34 female patients with urinary incontinence. Here, the S. sclarea oil group experienced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure as compared to the control; in contrast, the L. angustifolia aroma tended to increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure as compared to the control.…”

How Strong is the Evidence for the Anxiolytic Efficacy of Lavender?: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…The results of the physiological measures including vital signs, salivary cortisol and CgA are presented in Figure 3. Vital signs were measured in six trials [32,34,35,39], and each meta-analysis was performed according to SBP, DBP, and heart rate. Regarding SBP, only one trial [22] showed a significant anxiolytic effect, with an effect of À0.56 (95% CI, À0.98 to À0.14), while the remaining trials showed no significant anxiolytic effect.…”