Buddhist meditation for vascular function: A narrative review.
Anjalee Thanuja Amarasekera, Dennis Chang
Integrative Medicine Research December 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2019.11.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Buddhist meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Breathing meditation Buddhist meditation High blood pressure Hypertension Inflammation Mindfulness-based stress reduction Vascular endothelial function |
| Key findings | Buddhist meditation improved inflammation, vascular function, and blood pressure in both young and older adults. |
Abstract
High blood pressure represents an important risk factor for diseases related to cardiovascular system and is directly associated with high oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular endothelial dysfunction. Recently, there is promising data available to suggest that meditation-based low-cost and low-risk lifestyle modification strategies may provide beneficial effects on chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and maintenance of blood pressure, both in young and older adults. This review aims to summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of Buddhist meditation for vascular endothelial function and blood pressure. A search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO for articles published from 1990 to 2018. Relevant articles (n = 407) were reviewed and 5 met selection criteria. Several lines of studies have provided compelling data showing that Buddhist meditation approach was effective in improving inflammation and vascular function (endothelial vasodilation and arterial stiffness) in both young and elderly cohorts. Particularly, Buddhist meditation approach has shown to be effective in reducing plasma inflammatory markers, increasing nitric oxide concentration and improving vascular endothelial function and glycemic control, which in turn can be favorable factors for demonstrated positive effects of Buddhist meditation on blood pressure and vascular function. This paper presents brief overview of clinical outcomes of complementary therapeutic approach of Buddhist meditation in vascular function. In future, well-structured systematic reviews are essential to report specificity of Buddhist mindfulness-based approach on vascular function, blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress | 2012 | Review | |
| Measuring mindfulness | 2011 | Review | |
| The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention | 2015 | Review | |
| Seeking the Sacred with Psychoactive Substances | 2014 | Review | |
| Positive Psychology and Buddhism | 2023 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on patients with nocturnal hypertension: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Clin Hypertens July 1, 2026
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction program improves psychological well-being and blood pressure in an Italian context: potential mechanisms and benefits. Psychology, Health & Medicine September 23, 2025
- Aanapanasati Meditation and Stress Reduction Among Health Science University Students The Open Public Health Journal February 26, 2025
- Carotid-body modulation through meditation in stage-I hypertensive subjects: Study protocol of a randomized and controlled study. Medicine January 6, 2023
- Mindfulness-based intervention in patients with persistent pain in chest (MIPIC) of non-cardiac cause: a feasibility randomised control study. Open heart May 2022
Cites 9
- What does mindfulness really mean? A canonical perspective Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Meditation's impact on chronic illness. Holistic Nursing Practice 2003
- Lower Lipid Peroxide Levels in Practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation[registered sign] Program Psychosomatic Medicine 1998
- Meditation smartphone application effects on prehypertensive adults' blood pressure: Dose-response feasibility trial. Health Psychology September 2018
- Meditation and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Hypertension April 2017
and 4 more in the library