Method and System for Consciously Synchronizing the Breathing Cycle with the Natural Heart Rate Cycle (10/699,025), System and Method for Synchronizing the Heart Rate Variability Cycle With The Breathing Cycle (Feb. 19, 2004), Method of Presenting Audible and Visual Cues for Synchronizing the Breathing Cycle With An External Timing Reference for Purposes of Synchronizing The Heart Rate Variability Cycle With The Breathing Cycle (Mar. 15, 2004), Method and System Providing A Fundamental Musical Interval for Heart Rate Variability Synchronization (Mar. 23, 2004), Method and System of Respiratory Therapy Employing Heart Rate Variability Coherence (10/814,035).
The present invention relates to the field of human health and in particular to what is a potentially a new field of therapy with the specific purpose of preventing or reducing sympathetic predominance, “sympathetic predominance” referring to over-activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and the relative under activity of the parasympathetic branch, and positively modifying its resultant conditions, one of which is proposed to be “hypertension”.
The reason that it is a potentially new field of therapy is that, while it involves “breathing” it is not “respiratory therapy” in the traditional sense, for it concerns itself with the matter of blood gases only indirectly. Neither is it a present concern of “physical therapy”. The present invention, defines a specific form of therapy wherein breathing is employed in order to realize fundamental changes in neuro-physiological functioning, specifically, positive modification of autonomic nervous system function, or more specifically, the correction of sympathetic nervous system predominance, one of its resultant conditions being “hypertension”.
Consequently, for purposes of this patent, said therapy will be referred to as “breathing therapy”.
Hypertension or “high blood pressure” is presently defined as “a medical condition in which constricted arterial blood vessels increase the resistance to blood flow, causing the blood to exert excessive pressure against vessel walls”.1 It is also recognized that “two factors determine blood pressure: the amount of blood the heart pumps and the diameter of the arteries receiving blood from the heart. When the arteries narrow, they increase the resistance to blood flow. The heart works harder to pump more blood to make sure the same amount of blood circulates to all the body tissues. The more blood the heart pumps and the smaller the arteries, the higher the blood pressure. As a measure of overall heart function doctors use cardiac output, the amount of blood pumped by each ventricle in one minute. Cardiac output is equal to the heart rate multiplied by the stroke volume, the amount of blood pumped by a ventricle with each beat. Stroke volume, in turn, depends on several factors: the rate at which blood returns to the heart through the veins, how vigorously the heart contracts, and the pressure of blood in the arteries, which affects how hard the heart must work to propel blood into them. An increase in either heart rate or stroke volume—or both—will increase cardiac output.”1 In summary, the higher the cardiac output, the higher the blood pressure.
(1Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Corporation)
Relative to central nervous system functioning, hypertension is the state wherein the sympathetic (activating) function has persistent predominance over the parasympathetic (deactivating) function. It is sympathetic action that elicits accelerated heartbeat rate and contractile vigor. In theory, sympathetic action also governs blood vessel constriction; these factors combined, resulting in the state of hypertension.
Hypertension represents a huge health care challenge where large percentages of the adult, and now adolescent population, are identified as being hypertensive. Greater than 25% of the American population is estimated to be affected by hypertension. Hypertension is known to be strongly related to cardiopulmonary integrity, stroke, and internal organ health. Today, the treatment of hypertension is approached through the application of pharmaceuticals, diet, fitness, and lifestyle modification. “If these (lifestyle modification) methods do not correct hypertension, a physician may prescribe medications known as antihypertensives. Diuretics are antihypertensives that promote excess salt and water excretion, reducing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream and relieving pressure on blood vessel walls. Beta blockers reduce heart rate and the amount of blood the heart pumps. ACE inhibitors prevent the narrowing of blood vessel walls to control blood pressure. Calcium channel blockers slow heart rate and relax blood vessels.”1 While these drugs are effective for some, they are non-effective for others, also often presenting negative side effects, sometimes severe. For many people, their hypertension continues, ultimately reducing their well being, increasing their risk of serious disease, and reducing their longevity.
(1Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Corporation)
The cost of hypertension including human costs, healthcare system costs, and pharmaceuticals runs into the $B per annum in the United States alone. It is generally assumed that hypertension is a necessary condition of modern life.
Research on which this patent is based, strongly indicates that a root cause (if not the root cause) of hypertension is in fact “inadequate breathing”. Inadequate breathing results in sympathetic nervous system predominance with a like withdrawal of parasympathetic action.
Per the prior discussion, heartbeat rate is one factor that directly affects blood pressure, such that, as the heartbeat rate increases, blood pressure increases. Consequently, it clearly follows that faster shallower breathing, even while at rest, increases heartbeat rate and blood pressure and slower deeper breathing reduces heartbeat rate and blood pressure.
Most people breathe at a rate of 10-15 breaths per minute.2 While 30 breaths per minute was used in the prior example for contrast, the same basic relationship holds true for the range 10-15 breaths per minute. If we compare 5 breaths per minute with 15 breaths per minute, respective average heartbeat rates are 77 vs. 86, with heart rate variabilities ranging from 60-94 vs. 84-88 BPM. Comparing these two “linearly”, relative to 15 breaths per minute, 5 breaths per minute allows the heart rest for 70% of the time, i.e. for 70% of the time the heartbeat rate is less than ˜84 BPM.
The cardiopulmonary system of a human adult in a resting or semi-active state aspires to a specific resting frequency of 0.085 cycles per second or 5 cycles in ˜1 minute. At this rate, the cardio pulmonary system is optimally effective and efficient heart rate variability being of maximal amplitude, periodicity, and coherence, i.e. free of distortion. The heartbeat rate at this breathing rhythm, in this case 77 beats per minute, defines the autonomic baseline above which the sympathetic function is predominant and below which the parasympathetic function is predominant Referring once again to
The inventor asserts that breathing at a rate above 5 breaths in 58.8 seconds, while at rest, if persistent, results in the pathological condition of “sympathetic predominance” or sympathetic over activation and parasympathetic under activation. Consequently, that the typical breathing rate of 10-15 breaths per minute produces the condition of sympathetic over activation in much of the population predisposing said population to a myriad of maladies, one of which is the class of symptoms commonly referred to as “hypertension”.
In summary, it is the premise of this patent, that:
The invention specifies a system and method for leading a person suffering from “sympathetic predominance”, a specific symptom of which is “hypertension”, to breathe according to a certain pattern for the express purpose of positively altering the condition of sympathetic predominance (over activation), having the effect of bringing the autonomic nervous system into the state of balance, with consequent reductions in “tenseness”, blood pressure, muscular tightness, and emotional strain, as well as the alleviation of the myriad of subtle neuro-physiological consequences resulting from sympathetic predominance potentially including headaches, anxiety, sleep disorders, allergies, and other maladies that have yet to be attributed to this condition, thus leading to a general improvement in health, well being, and homeostasis.
An instructive method is specified for both therapy practitioners and care recipients in the application of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to the general condition of sympathetic predominance as is elicited by inadequate breathing, and the specific symptomology commonly referred to as “hypertension”.
This patent represents new art relative to the application of “breathing therapy” to the resolution of the general condition of autonomic nervous system imbalance, specifically the condition of sympathetic predominance or over activation and parasympathetic under activation. A general definition is provided relative to the objective “ideal” state of autonomic balance and how this state is achieved and maintained. Specific focus is provided as to how to correct the state of predominance, once identified. Application of the present invention to the symptoms commonly referred to as “hypertension” is described. As the correction of sympathetic predominance via breathing therapy is a nascent field of investigation, it is anticipated that it will find broad application in the alleviation of numerous maladies that are rooted in sympathetic over activation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that those applications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow. Application of the present invention may be employed alone or in combination with medication as is deemed appropriate by the attending health care professional.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The present invention provides a method and system by which “breathing therapy” may be optimally applied to a conscious recipient or recipients by facilitating the slowing of the recipients resting breathing rate to the ultimate rhythm of 1 cycle in 11.76 seconds, inhalation persisting for 5.88 seconds and exhalation persisting for 5.88 seconds. Additionally, several sub-methods and sub-systems are defined providing alternative means of presenting the recipient with breathing cues and for monitoring the breathing rate of the recipient in both stationary and mobile (normal walk of life) settings.
The care recipient is presented an audio, visual, or audio-visual representation of the objective breathing cycle with a gradually increasing interval (decreasing frequency) to which the recipient consciously synchronizes their breathing cycle. In this way, a person suffering from chronic sympathetic predominance might start out with a pathological breathing frequency of 20 cycles per second, 20 cycles per second being used for example only, and over some time of training, gradually lower their “normal” breathing frequency to 15, to 10, and eventually to 5 cycles in approximately 1 minute. Instruments for monitoring the breathing cycle are applied for “feedback” purposes in the early stages of training and for ongoing monitoring relative to acute scenarios. Relative to the treatment of hypertension, the subject's blood pressure is gauged regularly as they progress from a higher breathing frequency to a relatively lower frequency over some duration of training.
A stepwise approach is specified because it is typically impractical for a person suffering from chronic sympathetic predominance to radically alter their breathing pattern all at once. A primary reason for this is that in order to breathe slower, one must also breathe deeper requiring conscious coordination and control. Breathing deeper requires the employment of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. As is true with learning any new physical skill, it takes time to learn to coordinate the movement as well as tonify and build the respective muscle groups that are involved. This is especially true of the diaphragm because it is a relatively large muscle of which most people tend to have little awareness.
Once the subject reaches either their the target breathing frequency of ˜5 cycles in 1 minute, or in the case of application to hypertension, their target blood pressure, they may shift to a maintenance regimen wherein the invention is employed for ongoing reinforcement of the desired breathing frequency.
While a specific instructive method is specified later, a brief discussion of the method is required here for context. Care recipient A, is positioned such that they are able to see or hear audible, visual, or audiovisual display device B. Optionally, care recipient A or a health care practitioner, attaches breathing rate and/or blood pressure monitoring apparatus C to care recipient A. Care recipient A, is able to perceive the status of their breathing rate and blood pressure as monitored by apparatus C. Upon assessing the present breathing status of care recipient A, care recipient A or alternatively, a health care practitioner, turns on breathing cycle timing generator D and selects the optimal breathing interval at which care recipient A is to practice breathing. This interval is generated by breathing cycle timing generator D and is displayed on display device B, according to the preferred mode of operation and or the ability of the given display device to support multiple forms of media. In its simplest form display device may be a speaker or set of headphones, in it's most complex form a personal computer.
Returning to the discussion of
Referring now to
Care recipient A, is fitted with the integrated training and monitoring system of
Throughout the day, in the absence of an alert, the care recipient may turn on the training function of the device, principally involving breathing cycle timing generator H and audio, visual, or audiovisual display F, and practice breathing at the target rate, this having been preestablished per the instructive method detailed later.
The integrated training and monitoring system B, consists principally of programmability interface C, breathing sensor D, breathing cycle timing generator E, and display F. Breathing sensor D, supports two sensing options, pulse monitor G, via which the heart rate variability signal can be derived for purposes of determining breathing rate and depth, and mechanical sensor H, which senses the contraction and expansion of the torso commensurate with frequency and depth of breathing. Programmability aspects of programmability interface C are detailed in
An instructive method is also specified for use by respiratory care practitioners and care recipients.
Instructive Method for Reducing Sympathetic Predominance, and Consequent Positive Modifications to its Attendant Symptomology Hypertension:
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.