Breathing slower to live longer

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in both the United States and worldwide. Stress likely plays a prominent role in the development of cardiovascular disease, especially coronary heart disease and hypertension. Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline with the goal of bringing balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of an individual. It is a holistic science which is likely one of the best methods for managing stress, reducing anger and hostility in response to daily life events, and preventing overall stress-induced illness. Pranayama is a component of yoga and is a form of breathing exercise, consisting of slow breathing (roughly 6 breaths per minute). It is one of the most practical and effective relaxation techniques. The purpose of this commentary is to further explore the cardiovascular and blood pressure lowering benefits of pranayama. It is plausible that a prescription of yoga, or pranayama in itself, in addition to pharmacotherapy may be even more effective in primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention and risk factor modulation than pharmacological intervention alone, given its mental health benefits and thus impact on non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as anxiety, depression, hostility, anger, and overall stress, its effects on blood pressure, and its minimal side effects.