Relaxation therapy for essential hypertension: A veterans administration outpatient study

Twenty-nine patients who had been treated with antihypertensive medication for at least the preceding 6 months were randomly assigned to (1) therapistconducted, face-to-face progressive, deep-muscle relaxation training for 10 weekly sessions, or (2) progressive deep-muscle relaxation therapy conducted mainly by home use of audio cassettes, or (3) nonspecific individual psychotherapy for 10 weekly sessions. No differences between the groups were found immediately after therapy; however, the therapist-conducted relaxation therapy group showed the greatest changes: –17.8 mm Hg systolic, –9.7 mm Hg diastolic at 6 months follow-up. Some significant trends in results among the three therapists were also found. No correlation existed between blood pressure changes and changes in dopamine--hydroxylase (DbH) levels.