Get your blood pumping: it’s National Heart Month

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it certainly won’t be the quietest if the events planned by the British Heart Foundation are anything to go by. The charity is running a series of fundraising and awareness events across the country in the build up to National Wear Red Day on February 24th and are again promoting their Love Note campaign to raise money and goodwill within British Heart Foundation shops.

The launch of National Heart Month coincides with the launch of RESPeRATE, an innovative respiratory modulator used to lower blood pressure without the need for medication. The device, which has no proven side effects, will be available on the NHS from today for patients suffering from hypertension.

RESPeRATE is a computer sensor and headphone system which encourages patients to naturally regulate their breathing. The system will measure a patient’s breathing rate and advise them to slow their breathing until it reaches the therapeutic zone of less than ten breaths per minute; this allows blood to flow more freely and, after 15 minutes of use, blood pressure is lowered.
 

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