Current perspectives on the use of meditation to reduce blood pressure.
Carly M Goldstein, Richard Josephson, Susan Xie, Joel W Hughes
International journal of hypertension 2012 DOI: 10.1155/2012/578397 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that meditation techniques produce small yet meaningful reductions in blood pressure, with transcendental meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction potentially yielding clinically significant reductions, but more randomized trials are needed. |
Abstract
Meditation techniques are increasingly popular practices that may be useful in preventing or reducing elevated blood pressure. We reviewed landmark studies and recent literature concerning the use of meditation for reducing blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive individuals. We sought to highlight underlying assumptions, identify strengths and weaknesses of the research, and suggest avenues for further research, reporting of results, and dissemination of findings. Meditation techniques appear to produce small yet meaningful reductions in blood pressure either as monotherapy or in conjunction with traditional pharmacotherapy. Transcendental meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction may produce clinically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. More randomized clinical trials are necessary before strong recommendations regarding the use of meditation for high BP can be made.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Mindfulness on-the-go: Effects of a mindfulness meditation app on work stress and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology May 3, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence ISRN Psychiatry November 14, 2012
- EEG Derived Neuronal Dynamics during Meditation: Progress and Challenges Advances in Preventive Medicine 2015
- The Influence of Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction Training on Somatic Health Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska sectio J – Paedagogia-Psychologia August 20, 2018
- Designing a meditation module to affect etiological and preventive factors in primary hypertensive patients-A pilot study. Physiological reports February 1, 2025
and 13 more in the library
Cites 15
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
- Impact of transcendental meditation on ambulatory blood pressure in African-American adolescents American Journal of Hypertension April 1, 2004
- Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction for prehypertension. Psychosomatic Medicine October 1, 2013
and 10 more in the library