Meditation: Philosophical Foundations and its Role in Managing Common Noncommunicable Diseases.
Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine February 1, 2026 K H Naveen, Purnandu Sharma, Hemant Bhargav et al.
Meditation, a mind-body practice originally used for self-realization, is now studied for health benefits, particularly for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory conditions, and type 2 diabetes. These NCDs cause over 80% of premature NCD deaths globally, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, and are associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Meditation improves psychological correlates and quality of life in people with NCDs through psycho-neuro-endo-immunological mechanisms, with small-to-medium effect sizes (Cohen's d: 0.20-0.79). Despite limitations like small samples and high attrition, clinicians are encouraged to recommend meditation as add-on therapy for consenting patients.