POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
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Salons 10-12.
FRIDAY, 5:45-6:30 PM
Dusek JA, Chang BH, Jacobs G, Zaki J, Lazar SW, Deykin
A, Stefano GB, Hibberd PL, Benson H.
Association between decreased oxygen consumption and
increased nitric oxide production during the relaxation response.
Mind/Body Medical Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center jdusek@bidmc.harvard.edu
PURPOSE: On the basis of the well-established
vasodilatory effects of nitric oxide (NO) and the clinical effects of
RR-eliciting practices, Stefano, et al. hypothesized that RR
elicitation is associated with the liberation of NO. To test this hypothesis,
we conducted a randomized trial to investigate the association between
VO2 and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO).
METHODS: A total of 46 subjects enrolled in
the study: 34 were randomly assigned to the relaxation response (RR)
and 12 to the health education control group (3 to 1 randomization).
During the baseline (Pre) visit, VO2 and FENO were collected as subjects
listened to a control audiotape. Subjects were then randomized to either
receiving 8-weeks of RR or 8-weeks of health-education control training.
Twenty-six RR (50% female, mean age 26.3 years) and 8 controls (62%
female, mean age 23.8 years) completed the study. Subjects returned
for a Post visit (8 weeks later), in which VO2 and FENO were collected
as the RR subjects listened to a RR-eliciting audiotape and the controls
listened to a control audiotape.
RESULTS: During the Pre visit, none of the subjects
were attempting to elicit the RR and there was no association between
VO2 and FENO in either the RR (r = 0.13, P = 0.53) or control
(r = -0.03, P = 0.94) groups. During the Post visit VO2 and FENO
were inversely correlated in the RR group (r = -0.41, P = 0.037),
but not in the control group (r = 0.12, P = 0.78).
CONCLUSIONS: The current data demonstrate that
decreased VO2 change rate (i.e., depth of RR elicitation) is associated
with alterations in endogenous NO production as reflected by increased
concentrations of FENO. This observation suggests that NO may serve
as biological mechanism underlying the RR and may help explain its clinical
effects in disorders caused or exacerbated by stress (e.g., hypertension).
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