BREATHING RETRAINING - A 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF TREATMENT FOR HYPERVENTILATION-SYNDROME AND ASSOCIATED FUNCTIONAL CARDIAC SYMPTOMS

This study was designed to evaluate the long-term effects of paced dia phragmatic breathing on subjects who reported functional cardiac sympt oms and who also demonstrated associated signs of hyperventilation syn drome. Subjects were a representative sample composed of 10 out of the original 41 subjects who had participated three years previously in a study designed to evaluate the short-term effects of breathing retrai ning on functional cardiac symptoms and respiratory parameters (respir atory rate and end-tidal carbon dioxide). The results of this follow-u p study indicate that breathing retraining had lasting effects on both respiratory parameters measured. Subjects evidenced significantly hig her end-tidal carbon dioxide levels and lower respiratory rates when c ompared to pretreatment levels measured three years earlier. Subjects also continued to report a decrease in the frequency of functional car diac symptoms when compared to pretreatment levels. We conclude that b reathing retraining has lasting effects on respiratory physiology and is highly correlated with a reduction in reported functional cardiac s ymptoms.