The USA-USSR collaborative cross-cultural comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback in the treatment of mild hypertension.

Abstract

We have conducted a cross-cultural (USA and USSR) comparison of thermal biofeedback (TBF) and autogenic training (AT) to a self-relaxation control condition in 59 unmedicated males with mild hypertension. Identical assessment and treatment protocols were carried out in both settings (Albany, New York, and Moscow). Treatments were delivered in small groups on an outpatient basis twice per week for 10 weeks. Results showed comparable, significant (p < .05), short-term decreases (M = 8.5 mm Hg) in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for both treatments at both sites. However, the Soviet patients, starting with significantly {p < .01) higher systolic blood pressures Requests for reprints should be sent to

Stress reduction programs in patients with elevated blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Review Manager 4.2 software (The Cochrane Collaboration, http://www.cc-ims.net/RevMan) for meta-analysis was used to estimate the mean BP change for each type of program and to calculate P-values and 95% CIs, based on a random effects model. [31,26,27]. Two relaxation studies employed progressive muscle relaxation [26,27].…”

“…Four of these interventions combined biofeedback with relaxation training (relaxation-assisted biofeedback) [11,[37][38][39] and five combined stress-management training with relaxation training [11,[40][41][42]. Four interventions were not replicated: one on autogenic training [31], one trial on other meditation (SRELAX-"self-relaxation") [36], and two studies on miscellaneous treatment combinations that did not fit into any category [43,44]. Table 2 shows the results of meta-analyses for treatment categories with at least two studies employing the same intervention.…”

“…Among these, 15 trials lacked an adequate BP baseline measurement protocol and two others were shorter than 8 weeks' duration. Hence, 20 trials met the above criteria, and these provided 27 comparisons of an active treatment group with an attention-control group [11,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

Controlled evaluation of thermal biofeedback in treatment of elevated blood pressure in unmedicated mild hypertension

“…The 32.4% long-term success of treatment completers compares favorably to the 20% of TBF completers who were still normotensive at one year in the American sample of Blanchard, McCoy et al, (1988) but is much below the 70% for the Soviet sample in that study. Those patients who failed in follow-up showed no decrease in BP with treatment, whereas those who were long-term successes showed a significant effect of treatment on both SBP and DBP.…”

“…For the sake of clarity this project is described as two studies: Study 1 was concerned with the initial treatment comparison of TBF to BP monitoring and as such represents a partial systematic replication of the Blanchard, McCoy et al (1988) study; Study 2 was concerned with a controlled evaluation of two follow-up procedures for those patients who were successfully treated in Study 1.…”