Along with other researchers, he recruited healthy volunteers ages 18-82 to use a device called PowerBreathe, which provides resistance training for the muscles that help us inhale. "Just as you would use a heavier dumbbell as your bicep strength improves, you can increase the resistance on the breathing device as your breathing strength improves."
"In addition, the protocol takes only 5-10 minutes per day, so we hope it’ll be easy for people to adhere to," Craighead told Fox News Digital. Lowering systolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg reduces the risk of stroke by about 35% and that of heart disease events by approximately 25% at age 65, according to a British Medical Journal report. The American Heart Association defines a normal blood pressure as less than 120/80 mm Hg.
A patient is at risk for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, if the systolic blood pressure readings are consistently 120-129, which is termed elevated blood pressure. "High blood pressure is a common problem and contributes to stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and a variety of other cardiovascular complications," Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school, told Fox News Digital. , such as restricting salt intake and weight loss, can help lower blood pressure, though many people with high blood pressure eventually end up needing medications," added Bhatt.
"Potentially, breath training, as was done in this [new] study, might help strengthen the muscles involved with breathing and additionally lower blood pressure," Bhatt said. "I don’t think it will be a magic fix on its own," Craighead of the University of Colorado Boulder told Fox News Digital about IMST, the strength training process for respiratory breathing muscles.