Low‐level tragus stimulation offers promising BP-lowering effect

Low‐level tragus stimulation (LL-TS), a device-based therapy, appears to yield reductions in blood pressure (BP) in young adults with essential hypertension, as shown in a study.

The study included 40 patients with grade 1 hypertension with no other medical history. These patients were randomly assigned to undergo LL‐TS (20 Hz, 1 mA, 1 h/day) for 3 months (intervention group n=21, mean age 30.52 years, 71.43 percent male, mean BMI 23.16 kg/m²) or low-level stimulation on the earlobe (control group n=19, mean age 28.89 years, 42.11 percent male, mean BMI 22.51 kg/m²).

The primary outcome was the difference in systolic BP (SBP) reduction between the intervention and control groups at 3 months after the intervention. Secondary outcome measures included the difference in diastolic BP (DBP) and heart rate (HR) reduction between the intervention and control groups over the same period.

Baseline characteristics were similar between the intervention and control groups. These included SBP (142.62 vs 143.00 mm Hg; p=0.89), DBP (89.86 vs 91.79 mm Hg; p=0.31), and HR (70.24 vs 70.74 bpm; p=0.84).

Results showed that SBP was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group at months 1 (134.47 vs 141.28 mm Hg; p=0.002), 2 (132.50 vs 140.62 mm Hg; p=0.001), and 3 (128.81 vs 136.51 mm Hg; p=0.003).

The same was true for DBP, which was significantly lower in the intervention group at all time points (month 1: 85.34 vs 89.74 mm Hg; p=0.03; month 2: 82.12 vs 88.57 mm Hg; p=0.002; month 3: 80.71 vs 87.55 mm Hg; p=0.001). Meanwhile, HR did not differ between the two groups across months 1 (p=0.83), 2 (p=0.78), and 3 (p=0.339).

In terms of safety, only 0.01 percent of patients in the intervention group had site irritation, with no serious adverse events.

Larger trials are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of LL‐TS for hypertension treatment.