Can slow breathing soothe a failing heart?

NCT ID NCT07763353

Not yet recruiting Symptom relief Sponsor: Chung Shan Medical University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether slow-paced breathing—reducing breaths to 4-7 per minute—can improve heart rate variability, a marker of heart health, in hospitalized heart failure patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to either standard cardiac rehab alone or rehab plus slow-breathing training (20-minute sessions twice daily for 8 weeks). The goal is to see if this simple breathing technique can enhance the body's autonomic balance and potentially improve outcomes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Slow-paced breathing training (4-7 breaths per minute, 20-minute sessions twice daily for 8 weeks) combined with standard cardiac rehabilitation
What this could lead to: If effective, slow-paced breathing could become a simple, drug-free addition to cardiac rehab, potentially improving autonomic balance and reducing risks in heart failure patients.
What could go wrong: This is a small early trial (27 participants), and previous studies on slow-paced breathing have shown inconsistent results. The benefits may be modest or not generalizable to all heart failure patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for HEART FAILURE are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

heart failure

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

HEART FAILURE

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.