Transcendental Meditation in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and pathophysiological mechanisms: An evidence-based review.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in Australia and globally. This review synthesizes evidence from meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and controlled clinical studies on the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique's effects on CVD and its risk factors. The authors report that clinical trials indicate TM positively impacts pathophysiological mechanisms of CVD, risk factors such as hypertension, psychosocial stress, and smoking, surrogate markers, and clinical events. Citing a recent American Heart Association scientific statement, they note TM may be considered in clinical practice to lower blood pressure and may reduce heart attack, stroke, and death in CVD patients. The authors propose TM may be considered for both prevention and treatment of CVD.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Despite advances in modern medicine, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Australia and globally. In a recently published scientific statement on alternative methods to lower blood pressure (BP), the American Heart Association (AHA) reported that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique may be considered in clinical practice to lower BP. The AHA statement also reported research that TM may reduce heart attack, stroke and death in CVD patients. This article reviews the background and associated evidence for these effects. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews and controlled clinical studies on the effects of TM technique on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors were reviewed and the outcomes synthesised. Clinical trials indicate that the TM technique has a positive impact on pathophysiological mechanisms of CVD; risk factors for CVD including hypertension, psychosocial stress and smoking; surrogate markers for CVD; and CVD clinical events. The wide range of effects of TM practice on cardiovascular health suggests that the TM technique may be considered in clinical applications for both the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.