Objectives: To identify the immediate and middle-term effects of the right carotid sinus compression technique on blood pressure and heart rate in hypertensive patients.
Design: Randomized blinded experimental study.
Settings: Primary health centers of Ca´ceres (Spain).
Subjects: Sixty-four medicated patients with hypertension were randomly assigned to an intervention group
(n = 33) or to a control group (n = 31).
Intervention: In the intervention group a compression of the right carotid sinus was applied for 20 sec. In the
control group, a placebo technique of placing hands on the radial styloid processes was performed.
Outcome measures: Blood pressure and heart rate were measured in both groups before the intervention
(preintervention), immediately after the intervention, 5 min after the intervention, and 60 min after the intervention.
Results: The intervention group significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate
immediately after the intervention, with a large clinical effect; systolic blood pressure remained reduced 5 min
after the intervention, and heart rate remained reduced 60 min after the intervention. No significant changes
were observed in the control group.
Conclusions: Right carotid sinus compression could be clinically useful for regulating acute hypertension.