Effect of breathing exercises on respiratory indices and anxiety level in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized double-blind clinical trial.

The study had a small sample size (41 participants) and a relatively short follow-up period (two months), which may have limited the ability to detect differences in slower-changing outcomes like anxiety. Patients and therapists could not be blinded to the breathing intervention due to its nature, potentially introducing bias in self-reported anxiety scores. The control group received no active intervention other than usual care, making it difficult to isolate the specific effect of breathing exercises from the general effects of time and additional contact. The participant pool was predominantly female (68.2%), which may limit generalizability to male patients. Adherence was monitored by phone but not objectively measured, so actual exercise dosage may have varied.

The study was supported by a grant from the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that breathing exercises are ineffective for anxiety based on the null primary outcomes here. The study was underpowered for anxiety measures, and the authors noted that longer follow-up or higher exercise intensity might be needed to see differences. The significant improvement in FEV1/FVC suggests a physiological benefit that may precede symptomatic relief.