Biofeedback treatment increases heart rate variability in patients with known coronary artery disease
Abstract
Objectives To determine if cardiorespiratory biofeedback increases heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Diminished HRV has been associated with increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that various lifestyle changes and pharmacologic therapies can improve HRV. The objective of this study was to determine if biofeedback increases HRV in patients with CAD. Methods Patients with established CAD (n = 63; mean age, 67 years) were randomly assigned to conventional therapy or to 6 biofeedback sessions consisting of abdominal breath training, heart and respiratory physiologic feedback, and daily breathing practice. HRV was measured by the standard deviation of normal-to-normal QRS complexes (SDNN) at week 1 (pretreatment), week 6 (after treatment), and week 18 (follow-up). Results Baseline characteristics were similar for the treatment and control groups. The SDNN for the biofeedback and control groups did not differ at baseline or at week 6 but were significantly different at week 18. The biofeedback group showed a significant increase in SDNN from baseline to week 6 (P <.001) and to week 18 (P =.003). The control subjects had no change from baseline to week 6 (P =.214) and week 18 (P =.27). Conclusions Biofeedback increases HRV in patients with CAD and therefore may be an integral tool for improving cardiac morbidity and mortality rates.
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Learning to voluntarily increase HF-HRV through biofeedback has beneficial effects for diverse medical and psychopathological conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, depression, and PTSD.
“Learning to voluntarily increase HF-HRV through biofeedback also has beneficial effects for diverse medical and psychopathological conditions such as asthma31,32, cardiovascular disease33, depression34, and PTSD35.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [33]
The ability to increase HF-HRV through slower breathing has been linked to symptom reduction in a variety of bodily and mental disorders, such as cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, as well as depression and PTSD, making these findings clinically relevant.
“The ability to increase HF-HRV through slower breathing has been linked to symptom reduction in a variety of bodily and mental disorders, such as cardiovascular33 and pulmonary disease31,32, as well as depression34 and PTSD35, making these findings clinically relevant.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [33]
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- Authors
- Del Pozo, J. M., Gevirtz, R. N., Scher, B., & Guarneri, E.
- Affiliations
- Alliant University (US)
- Scripps Green Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gevirtz, Richard N
- ORCID
- Gevirtz, Richard N
- Venue
- American Heart Journal
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-03
- Volume
- 147
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 545
- ISSN
- 0002-8703 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2006819131
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 4.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Heart Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart rate and cardiovascular health
- Keywords
- heart rate variability, coronary artery disease, SDNN, cardiac autonomic function
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Analysis of Variance, Biofeedback, Psychology, Coronary Artery Disease, Electrocardiography, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Respiration
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