Improving Minority Health Through Biofeedback and Stress Reduction

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback intervention to improve physiological stress response, emotion regulation, and anxiety-related symptoms in young ethnic minority adults with a family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group, where they will engage in guided paced breathing exercises, or a control group, which will follow standard conditions without the intervention. The study consists of five sessions, including an initial assessment, three weekly check-in sessions, and a final post-intervention assessment. Participants will practice paced breathing at home and attend brief in-lab sessions to track progress. Physiological and psychological measures, such as HRV, GSR, BP, anxiety levels, and responses to the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT), will be used to assess outcomes. Findings from this study may provide insights into accessible, non-invasive stress management interventions to mitigate CVD risk in high-risk populations.

NCT Number	NCT07172152
Lead Sponsor	Amelia Saul, PhD, CTRS, BCB Collaborators: University of Puerto Rico
Conditions	Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction, Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, Hypertension Prevention, Health Disparities
Enrollment	66 participants
Start Date	2025-09-15
Primary Completion	2025-12-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-08