Research
Adherence
Device-guided breathing modulation is more effective for lowering blood pressure than acupuncture, receiving a Class IIA recommendation compared to acupuncture's Class III.
If you are looking for non-drug ways to lower blood pressure, device-guided breathing is a reasonable option (Class IIA) with better evidence than acupuncture (Class III). You should prioritize device-guided breathing if you are considering non-invasive procedures.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Between the noninvasive procedures and devices evaluated, device-guided breathing (Class IIA, Level of Evidence B) had greater support than acupuncture (Class III, Level of Evidence B).
Why this rating
Class IIA, Level of Evidence B indicates moderate support from systematic reviews/meta-analyses.
Source
Beyond Medications and Diet: Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure
Robert D. Brook et al. · Hypertension · 2013
DOI 10.1161/hyp.0b013e318293645f
clinical_guidelineCited 563×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance exercise, and isometric handgrip exercise have relatively strong supporting evidence for lowering blood pressure, with aerobic exercise receiving the highest recommendation (Class I).Good
- Transcendental Meditation (TM) modestly lowers blood pressure and is recommended as a Class IIB option for lowering BP, whereas other meditation techniques (e.g., MBSR, Zen) generally do not lower BP and are not recommended (Class III).Moderate
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