Breathing-strength training to lower blood pressure and help blood vessel health in postmenopausal women
Official title: Inspiratory muscle strength training for lowering blood pressure and improving endothelial function in postmenopausal women: comparison with "standard of care" aerobic exercise
Funded at University of Colorado · NIH-11310122 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares a short daily high-resistance breathing exercise to standard aerobic workouts to help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel health in postmenopausal women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 1, 2021 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $580,586 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071506-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310122 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are postmenopausal women with above-normal or high systolic blood pressure who are interested in a non-aerobic, home-based intervention and can attend clinic visits in Boulder, CO.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not postmenopausal, men, those with well-controlled blood pressure already, or those unable to perform the breathing exercises or travel to the study site are unlikely to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to do a brief daily inspiratory muscle workout with a small hand-held device or follow standard aerobic exercise recommendations, with the breathing program taking about five minutes a day. Researchers will measure your resting and 24-hour blood pressure, tests of blood vessel (endothelial) function, and blood markers of oxidative stress before and after the intervention. Some visits and testing will take place at the University of Colorado and staff will track how well participants stick with the program and any side effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a short, home-based breathing routine that meaningfully lowers systolic blood pressure and improves blood-vessel health for postmenopausal women.
How similar studies have gone: A prior small pilot trial showed promising reductions in resting and 24-hour systolic blood pressure with this breathing training, but larger trials are needed to confirm benefits.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado
Boulder, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seals, Douglas R — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Seals, Douglas R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.