  |
|
|
|
Meditation Might Improve CV HealthTranscendental Meditation Shown to Lower Blood Pressure
Learning to meditate deeply might be the answer to controlling high blood pressure, according to researchers who analysed 107 studies on stress reduction and meditation.
It seems not all meditation is the same – Transcendental Meditation (TM) topped the list as the most effective way to control high blood pressure or hypertension. Blood pressure changes recorded for the TM technique included average reductions of 5.0 points on systolic blood pressure and 2.8 on diastolic blood pressure, which were statistically significant, according to the review. Other forms of hypertension control such as biofeedback, stress management and relaxation therapy also did not perform as well as TM. The researchers evaluated the results of 107 randomized, controlled trials of all stress reduction and relaxation methods in people with high blood pressure, that have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The meta-analysis was carried out by researchers at the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management In Iowa, USA, and the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. in Lexington, Kentucky TM as Effective as Diet or Exercise“The magnitude of the changes in blood pressure with the Transcendental Meditation technique are at least as great as the changes found with major changes in diet or exercise that doctors often recommend,” said Dr James Anderson, professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky and co-author of the new meta-analysis “Yet the Transcendental Meditation technique does not require changes in lifestyle.” He added that long-term changes in blood pressure of the magnitude achieved by the participants in the Transcendental Meditation trials are associated with at least a 15 per cent reduction in rates of heart attack and stroke. “Thus many patients with mild hypertension or prehypertension may be able to avoid the need to take blood pressure medications, which have adverse side effects,” he said. “Individuals with more severe forms of hypertension may be able to reduce the number or dosages of their BP medications under the guidance of their doctor. “This is important to everyone because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide,” Dr Anderson said. According to Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention and co-author, the rigorously conducted meta-analysis indicates that the Transcendental Meditation program is distinctively effective compared to other scientifically studied techniques in lowering high blood pressure. “For those 100 million Americans with elevated blood pressure, here is a scientifically documented, yet simple and easy way to lower blood pressure without drugs and harmful side effects,” Schneider said. He added that related studies into TM “show an integrated set of positive ‘side benefits,’ such as reduced stress, reduced heart disease levels and longer lifespan with this technique to restore balance in the cardiovascular system, mind and body.” High Quality Studies Prove TM’s EfficacyPrevious studies of TM and other forms of meditation and relaxation had been inconclusive or low quality studies, Dr Anderson said, but his team’s meta-analysis only looked at high quality studies into all non-medication forms of stress control and relaxation. The study’s biostatistician, Dr Maxwell Rainforth, assistant professor of Physiology and Health Statistics at Maharishi University of Management, said the meta-analysis used state-of-the-art statistical methods to review 107 published studies in the field of stress reduction, relaxation and blood pressure. “The twenty-three separate studies included in the final analysis met well-known criteria for high scientific quality," Rainforth said. "That is, these studies used repeated blood pressure measurements and participants were randomized to either a stress reduction technique or placebo-type control for at least eight weeks. The data we used are all published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.” See also: Choose a Heart-healthy Lifestyle
The copyright of the article Meditation Might Improve CV Health in Meditation & Health is owned by Sue Cartledge. Permission to republish Meditation Might Improve CV Health in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
