Effects of Slow Breathing Exercises on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effects of slow breathing exercises performed following primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) on the heart rate, blood pressure, and quality of life of patients. Data were collected from patients admitted to the cardiology inpatient clinic of a hospital in Türkiye after primary PCI between October 2023 and November 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 34) and control ( n = 33) groups. The intervention group performed slow breathing exercises twice daily for 10 min over an 8-week home follow-up period. Both groups monitored their heart rate and blood pressure at home during this time. Data were collected using a “Patient Information Form” and the “MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire” at discharge, as well as at the 4th and 8th weeks post-discharge. In all follow-up measurements, the quality of life of the patients in the intervention group was significantly better than that of those in the control group. Throughout the follow-up period, the antihypertensive medication doses of the patients in the control group needed to be increased significantly more. Slow breathing exercises increased the quality of life and reduced the heart rate and diastolic blood pressure values of patients following primary PCI. The exercises led to decreases in heart rate and blood pressure immediately after they were performed. Registry : ClinicalTrials.gov, TRN: NCT06098222, Registration date: 5 October 2023.