Randomized Trial: A Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of Transcendental Meditation and Yoga Through Retinal Microcirculation in Cardiac Rehabilitation.
Adam Saloň, Karin Schmid-Zalaudek, Bianca Steuber, Maximilian Elliot Rudlof, Till Olaf Bartel, Petra Mächler, Andreas Dorr, Rainer Picha, Per Morten Fredriksen, Benedicta Ngwenchi Nkeh-Chungag, Nandu Goswami
Journal of Clinical Medicine January 3, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/jcm14010232 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Cardiac patients after heart surgery |
| Interventions | Yoga Transcendental meditation |
| Dose | 20 min of meditation or yoga practice, twice per day |
| Duration | 4-week rehabilitation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cardiac rehabilitation Exercise therapy Retinal imaging Yoga |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | No significant differences in retinal microcirculation were observed between groups receiving standard exercise therapy, meditation, or yoga during cardiac rehabilitation. |
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death, and psychosocial stress is considered a contributing factor to these issues. With the rising number of heart surgeries, proper rehabilitation post-surgery is essential. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of yoga and transcendental meditation on the cardiovascular system. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of yoga and transcendental meditation on retinal microcirculation in cardiac patients before (admission), after (discharge), and following (3 weeks after discharge) rehabilitation.
Methods: This study examined changes in retinal microcirculation in three rehabilitation groups of patients after heart surgery. The control group received standard exercise therapy, while the meditation group incorporated 20 min of meditation, and the yoga group incorporated 20 min of yoga practice, twice per day for the duration of four weeks of rehabilitation. Retinal images were captured using a non-mydriatic digital retinal camera (Canon CR-2, Canon Medical Systems Europe B.V., Netherlands), and the microcirculation parameters central retinal artery equivalent, central retinal vein equivalent, and artery-to-vein ratio were analyzed using MONA REVA software ((version 2.1.1), VITO, Mol, Belgium). Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to evaluate differences between the three groups in the course of rehabilitation.
Results: None of the parameters revealed significant differences in retinal microcirculation between the three rehabilitation groups.
Conclusions: The study evaluating changes in retinal microcirculation, as an indicator of central circulation in cardiac patients undergoing rehabilitation, did not observe any significant changes. As yoga and meditation are underestimated approaches in cardiac rehabilitation, this pilot study acts as a basis for providing preliminary information for future studies to encourage the research community to fill the gap in this area.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Effects of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcendental Meditation on Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects With Coronary Heart Disease Archives of Internal Medicine June 12, 2006
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
- Effects of Meditation on Cardiovascular and Muscular Responses in Patients during Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine October 18, 2022
- Yoga and meditation in cardiovascular disease. Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society September 1, 2014
and 2 more in the library