The effect of reflexology on blood pressure and heart rate in cardiovascular patients: a meta-analysis study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to conduct a meta-analysis of studies on the effect of reflexology on blood pressure and heart rate in patients with cardiovascular disease. METHOD: The study collected data from PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. The study had randomized-controlled, non-randomized-controlled, and quasi-experimental designs. Patients aged >18 years with coronary artery disease, coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, open-heart surgery, or coronary bypass were included. All analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. RESULTS: This study included 1,041 patients aged 18–75 years from 12 studies. According to the random-effects model, reflexology significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (95%CI, Hedges’ g=-0.41, Z=-2.27, p=0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (95%CI, Hedges’ g=-0.38, Z=-2.69, p=0.01). However, reflexology did not affect the heart rate (95%CI, Hedges’ g=0.16, Z=-1.54, p=0.12). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that reflexology has a positive effect on the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of cardiovascular patients, but no significant effect on the heart rate was observed.