Cholifah, N., Sukarmin, Kholiq, A. · Advances in Health Science Research · 2020
Blood pressure significantly decreased in the intervention group (p < 0.001 for both systolic and diastolic) but showed no significant change in the control group.
Blood pressure is checked with a cuff, in millimeters of mercury — there's no talking your way to a lower number. Watching systolic and diastolic pressure drop in treated elderly patients while an untreated comparison group's numbers stayed flat is the kind of plain, mechanical evidence that's hard to dismiss as wishful thinking, especially in an age group where blood pressure control carries real stakes for stroke and heart disease risk.
If a tapping-only version of this effect holds up, it raises the prospect of a free, easily-taught practice that older adults with hypertension could use themselves at home, alongside their usual medication, without needing a caregiver or clinician present each time.
Because this study bundled EFT with Quran recitation, an important next step is testing tapping on its own against blood pressure using continuous ambulatory monitoring rather than single readings, to see how long any drop lasts through the day. From there, it would be worth tracking whether BP improvements correlate with parallel changes in cortisol or HRV, and whether regular practice over months produces a cumulative, lasting shift rather than a short-term dip right after a session.
| Design | Controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 34 people |
| Population | elderly people with hypertension in Wonogiri, Indonesia |
| Comparison group | non-equivalent control group (no treatment) |
| Outcome measures | systolic and diastolic blood pressure |
| Journal | Advances in Health Science Research |
| Year | 2020 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Cholifah, N., Sukarmin, & Kholiq, A. (2020). The Effectiveness of the Combination Therapy of Emotional Freedom Technique - Murottal Alqur'an on Blood Pressure of the Elderly with Hypertension. Advances in Health Science Research. https://doi.org/10.2991/ahsr.k.200311.029
This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on Other Physical Conditions
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