In a randomized trial, 85 African American adults with hypertension were assigned to either the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program or a health education control group. After six months, the TM group showed a significantly lower left ventricular mass index (LVMI) compared to the control group, with a mean difference of -7.55 g/m², suggesting TM may help prevent left ventricular hypertrophy and associated cardiovascular disease. Both groups experienced significant reductions in blood pressure and anger, with no other lifestyle changes. The authors conclude that stress reduction with TM was effective in preventing LVMI progression in this high-risk population.
A randomized controlled trial of 201 Black men and women with coronary heart disease compared the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program with health education. Over an average follow-up of 5.4 years, the TM group showed a 48% reduction in the combined risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Systolic blood pressure dropped by 4.9 mmHg, and anger expression scores improved. The authors argue that TM may be useful for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population.
Older adults with high blood pressure who practiced the Transcendental Meditation program had a 23% lower risk of death from any cause over up to 18.8 years compared with those who received other behavioral interventions or usual care. The analysis pooled data from two randomized controlled trials involving 202 participants (77 white, mean age 81; 125 African-American, mean age 66). The TM group also showed a 30% reduction in cardiovascular mortality, while a 49% reduction in cancer mortality was not statistically significant. Results suggest that this specific stress-reduction technique may lower mortality risk in older hypertensive patients.
This review article argues that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program, a natural medicine approach, can reduce psychosocial and traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The authors report that randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and other controlled studies indicate the technique reduces blood pressure, carotid artery intima-media thickness, myocardial ischemia, left ventricular hypertrophy, and mortality. They contend that the magnitude of these effects compares favorably with conventional secondary prevention interventions. The paper suggests that TM may be a viable behavioral intervention for CVD, though it does not provide specific effect sizes or sample sizes.