Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial.
Khoa D. Le Nguyen, Jue Lin, Sara B Algoe, Mary Brantley, Sumi L Kim, Jeffrey Brantley, Sharon Salzberg, Barbara L. Fredrickson
Psychoneuroendocrinology October 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.020 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLoving-kindness meditation (LKM) may buffer the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps of chromosomes, while mindfulness meditation (MM) does not show the same protective effect. In a randomized trial with 142 midlife adults, telomere length decreased significantly in both the MM group and a waitlist control group over the study period, but not in the LKM group. The LKM group also experienced significantly less telomere attrition than the control group. The MM group's telomere changes fell between those of the LKM and control groups and were not significantly different from either. Self-reported emotions and practice duration or frequency did not explain the group differences. This work is the first to separate the effects of LKM and MM on telomere length.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 142 |
| Population | Midlife adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Loving-kindness meditation |
| Duration | 6-week workshop, with telomere length assessed 2 weeks before the start and 3 weeks after termination |
| Keywords | Cell aging Compassion meditation Contemplative science Metta Positive psychology |
| Key finding | Telomere length decreased significantly in the mindfulness meditation and control groups but not in the loving-kindness meditation group, and the loving-kindness meditation group had significantly less telomere attrition than the control group. |
Abstract
Combinations of multiple meditation practices have been shown to reduce the attrition of telomeres, the protective caps of chromosomes (Carlson et al., 2015). Here, we probed the distinct effects on telomere length (TL) of mindfulness meditation (MM) and loving-kindness meditation (LKM). Midlife adults (N = 142) were randomized to be in a waitlist control condition or to learn either MM or LKM in a 6-week workshop. Telomere length was assessed 2 weeks before the start of the workshops and 3 weeks after their termination. After controlling for appropriate demographic covariates and baseline TL, we found TL decreased significantly in the MM group and the control group, but not in the LKM group. There was also significantly less TL attrition in the LKM group than the control group. The MM group showed changes in TL that were intermediate between the LKM and control groups yet not significantly different from either. Self-reported emotions and practice intensity (duration and frequency) did not mediate these observed group differences. This study is the first to disentangle the effects of LKM and MM on TL and suggests that LKM may buffer telomere attrition.