Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Cardiology

Background: The World Health Organization has valued that hypertension causes one in every eight deaths, making hypertension the third leading killer in the world. Non-pharmacological therapy to prevent and manage hypertension gained more popularity worldwide. There is evidence of the blood pressure lowering effect of aerobic exercise, tai chi, yoga, acupuncture, cupping, massage, herbal medicine. Low frequency Transcutaneous electrical nervous stimulation (TENS) was also found to be beneficial in decreasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure.Objectives: to assess the effectiveness of Inferum ABP-051 device in reducing blood pressure through its application on the distal left forearm. Patients and methods: Our study was a prospective interventional cohort study which examined the effect of low frequency TENS on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. It involved 50 patients with mild and moderate hypertension. The patients were classified as device respondent if a decline in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was more than 5% of the baseline level after using Inferum ABP-051 device for 14 days. Results: Our results showed a mean decrease of 10.74 ± 16 mm Hg and 6 ± 8.8 mm Hg in average 24 hr SBP and DBP respectively and 66% of patients had more than 5% decrease in their initial baseline average 24 hr SBP and/or DBP. Conclusion: Inferum ABP-051 device may be used as an adjuvant to anti-hypertensive medications or an initial step in low risk patients with mild hypertension. However, further studies are needed for validation of these effects

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