Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-analysis.
Joanne Kraenzle Schneider, Chuntana Reangsing, Danny G Willis
The Journal of cardiovascular nursing DOI: 10.1097/jcn.0000000000000849 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,207 |
| Population | Adults with hypertension or elevated blood pressure |
| Intervention | Transcendental meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Transcendental meditation reduced systolic blood pressure by 3.3 mm Hg and diastolic by 1.8 mm Hg, with effects waning after 3 months. Systolic reduction was larger in adults 65 and older (-9.87) than in younger adults (-1.44). |
Abstract
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension. Although pharmaceutical management of blood pressure is available, there are reasons why people prefer not to take medications including costs, adverse effects, and lack of access. Nonpharmacological healthy lifestyle methods are needed. One alternative method is transcendental meditation (TM). The purpose of this study was to quantitatively synthesize the effects of TM on blood pressure. In addition, we examined the moderator effects of participant, methods, and intervention characteristics. We searched 19 electronic databases without date restrictions to March 2021 including the gray literature and specific journals for primary studies evaluating TM to reduce blood pressure in adults and written in English. We coded primary studies for 5 categories (source, method, intervention, participant characteristics, and outcomes). Across 18 primary studies (N = 1207), TM mildly improved systolic blood pressure by -3.3 mm Hg (P = .025) and diastolic blood pressure by -1.8 mm Hg (P = .008) compared with comparison groups, but the effects waned after 3 months. Transcendental meditation reduced systolic blood pressure in samples that were 65 years and older significantly more than in samples that were younger than 65 years (-1.44 vs -9.87, P = .021) but showed no differential effect on diastolic blood pressure. Transcendental meditation mildly reduced blood pressure, but the effect waned after 3 months. Adults older than 65 years benefited more than younger adults. Transcendental meditation might be recommended as one aspect of a healthy lifestyle.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- The effectiveness of the Wim Hof method on cardiac autonomic function, blood pressure, arterial compliance, and different psychological parameters Scientific Reports October 16, 2023
- Clinical Nurse Well-being Improved Through Transcendental Meditation: A Multimethod Randomized Controlled Trial. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration 2024
- Your brain on art, nature, and meditation: a pilot neuroimaging study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2024
- Cardiometabolic, Physiological and Objective‐Sleep Responses to Transcendental Meditation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Controlled Trial Among University Staff Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism November 3, 2026
- Meditation and workplace health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of mental and cardiometabolic outcomes among employees Health Psychology Review April 16, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 12
- Effects of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcendental Meditation on Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects With Coronary Heart Disease Archives of Internal Medicine June 12, 2006
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
- The impact of transcendental meditation on depressive symptoms and blood pressure in adults with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine August 16, 2019
- Blood Pressure Response to Meditation and Yoga: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine September 2017
- Meditation and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Hypertension April 2017
and 7 more in the library