Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical and Psychological Wellbeing in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Flavia Marino, Chiara Failla, Cristina Carrozza, Maria Ciminata, Paola Chilà, Roberta Minutoli, Sara Genovese, Alfio Puglisi, Antonino Andrea Arnao, Gennaro Tartarisco, Flavio Corpina, Sebastiano Gangemi, Liliana Ruta, Antonio Cerasa, David Vagni, Giovanni Pioggia
Brain Sciences May 29, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060727 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with cardiovascular diseases |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Meta-analysis Psychological intervention Coping psychology Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 54 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions show moderate-to-large effect sizes in reducing anxiety, depression, stress, and systolic blood pressure in patients with cardiovascular diseases. |
Abstract
Background: Recently, there has been an increased interest in the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) for people with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), although the exact beneficial effects remain unclear.
Methods: This review aims to establish the role of MBI in the management of wellbeing for patients with CVD. Seventeen articles have been included in this systematic synthesis of the literature and eleven in the meta-analysis.
Results: Considering physical (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure) and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, styles of coping), the vast majority of studies confirmed that MBI has a positive influence on coping with psychological risk factors, also improving physiological fitness. Random-effects meta-analysis models suggested a moderate-to-large effect size in reducing anxiety, depression, stress, and systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions: Although a high heterogeneity was observed in the methodological approaches, scientific literature confirmed that MBI can now be translated into a first-line intervention tool for improving physical and psychological wellbeing in CVD patients.