A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that young individuals with hypertension may benefit from low-level tragus stimulation (LL‐TS). The device-based therapy is a noninvasive method of tragus stimulation with an ear clip, targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. In the small study of 40 patients aged 18 to 39 years, LL‐TS was applied on the intervention group (IG) for 3 months on the tragus (20 Hz, 1 mA, 1 hour per day). It was also applied to the earlobe for the control group (CG). Blood pressure and outcomes were assessed at month 1, 2, and 3. Systolic blood pressure showed significant reductions for intervention group at the first (IG: 134.47±5.95 mm Hg, CG: 141.28±6.78 mm Hg, P=0.002); second (IG: 132.50±7.51 mm Hg, CG: 140.62±7.15 mm Hg, P=0.001); and third months (IG: 128.81±7.13 mm Hg, CG: 136.51±7.96 mm Hg, P=0.003). The subjects’ diastolic blood pressure also differed significantly: first month (IG: 85.34±5.81 mm Hg, CG: 89.74±6.32 mm Hg, P=0.03); second month (IG: 82.12±5.22 mm Hg, CG: 88.57±7.11 mm Hg, P=0.002); and third month (IG: 80.71±5.96 mm Hg, CG: 87.55±5.26 mm Hg, P=0.001).
Good thinking: The authors note that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to confirm hypertension and to exclude white-coat hypertension in subject selection. The subjects conducted daily blood pressure measurements at home while seated and after resting for at least 5 minutes. Values were measured 3 times and averaged.