Immediate effect of mudpack to abdomen and eyes on blood pressure and heart rate variability in patients with hypertension: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Background: According to the World Health Organization, ~1.39 billion adults aged 30–79 years have hypertension globally. Mud therapy is an efficient treatment for naturopathy and is used to treat hypertension. Currently, the impact of mudpack application to the abdomen and eyes (MAE) on blood pressure (BP) with hypertension remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the effects of MAE on BP and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with hypertension. Methods: One hundred patients with primary hypertension, aged 30–65 years, were randomly divided into a mud-pack group (MG) and a control group (CG). The MG underwent one MAE session, whereas the CG rested in the supine position for 20 min. BP and HRV were assessed before and immediately after intervention. Results: There was a significant reduction in systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), low-frequency to high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio, and LF, and an increased HF spectrum of HRV in the MG compared to the CG. Within-group analysis showed a significant reduction in SBP, DBP, HR, LF, and LF/HF ratio, and a significant increase in all time-domain variables and HF in the MG, while the CG showed a significant increase in LF and LF/HF ratio, with a significant reduction in HF in the posttest assessments compared to their respective baseline assessments. Conclusion: Twenty minutes of MAE reduced BP and improved HRV immediately after application in patients with hypertension. However, further studies are needed to validate these long-term effects in routine clinical practice.