[Mechanisms of the hypotensive effect of psychorelaxation therapy in hypertension].

Overview

An evaluation of the effect of mental relaxation treatment on endogenous opioid activity and vascular reactivity in 20 patients with labile essential hypertension has demonstrated that mental relaxation treatment results in a significantly greater drop in arterial BP, as compared to pharmacologic placebo, and is associated with the improvement of the patients' psychological status, lesser psychophysiologic and vascular reactivity, and a smaller beta-endorphin increment under emotional stress.