RESPeRATE electronic device for lowering blood pressure available on prescription

30 April 2012

A portable electronic device that helps patients use therapeutic breathing to lower blood pressure has been approved in the UK to be available on NHS prescription to hypertensive patients.

The device, called RESPeRATE is produced by UK company Intercure. It has a breathing sensor, placed on the upper abdomen, which automatically analyses the patient’s breathing pattern and in real-time creates a personalised melody composed of two distinct tones — one for inhalation, the other for exhalation — called the 'guiding tones'.

The patient simply listens to the melody through the headphones, and synchronises their breathing to the guiding tones. By gradually prolonging the exhalation tone to slow down breathing, the patient moves into a therapeutic zone of less than 10 breaths per minute. Within a few minutes, the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels in the body relax, blood flows more freely, and blood pressure gradually starts to lower.

While breathing returns to normal after each session the beneficial impact on blood pressure accumulates. Within three to four weeks, a significant, lasting reduction in blood pressure occurs. Used by patients for just 15 minutes a day, at least four times a week, there is a significant, all-day blood pressure reduction beyond that seen with concurrent treatments including medication, diet and exercise.

The device was approved by the NHS Prescription Service after a six-month review of its ten supporting clinical studies, patient satisfaction analyses and cost-benefit economic models and is featured in a new sub-section of Part IXA — Surgical Appliances of the Tariff list: Devices for the adjunctive treatment of hypertension.

Dr Benjamin Gavish, inventor of RESPeRATE and Chief Scientist of InterCure, said: “We are delighted that patients in the UK can now obtain RESPeRATE on prescription. We hope that this pioneering move by the NHS to set up a new device category to supplement the currently available treatment options for hypertension will encourage GPs to integrate RESPeRATE into their hypertension standard of care.”

More information

NHS Drug Tariff approval: The Drug Tariff is a monthly publication issued by NHS Prescription Services of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. The Drug Tariff contains a list of drugs, appliances, devices, chemical reagents etc approved for prescribing at NHS expense by an appropriate practitioner.

NHS Prescription Service: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices.aspx 

·The NHS Drug Tariff: www.drugtariff.co.uk

For information on the UK Department of Health’s commitment to early adoption of medical technologies see Innovation Health and Wealth – Accelerating Adoption and Diffusion in the NHS: A report by the DH published on 5/12/11 at: www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/publications

Source: Intercure

 

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