The effect of reflexology on blood pressure and heart rate in cardiovascular patients: a meta-analysis study.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to conduct a meta-analysis of studies on the effect of reflexology on blood pressure and heart rate in patients with cardiovascular disease.

METHOD

The study collected data from PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. The study had randomized-controlled, non-randomized-controlled, and quasi-experimental designs. Patients aged >18 years with coronary artery disease, coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, open-heart surgery, or coronary bypass were included. All analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis.

RESULTS

This study included 1,041 patients aged 18-75 years from 12 studies. According to the random-effects model, reflexology significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (95%CI, Hedges' g=-0.41, Z=-2.27, p=0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (95%CI, Hedges' g=-0.38, Z=-2.69, p=0.01). However, reflexology did not affect the heart rate (95%CI, Hedges' g=0.16, Z=-1.54, p=0.12).

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that reflexology has a positive effect on the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of cardiovascular patients, but no significant effect on the heart rate was observed.