Lowering cortisol and CVD risk in postmenopausal women: a pilot study using the Transcendental Meditation program.
Kenneth G Walton, Jeremy Z. Fields, Debra K Levitsky, Dwight A Harris, Nirmal D. Pugh, Robert H Schneider
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 2004 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1314.023 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Older women (mean age 75, range 65-92), including long-term TM practitioners and matched controls |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation (TM) program |
| Measures | salivary cortisol, urinary cortisol |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Post-glucose salivary cortisol rose faster and was significantly higher in controls than in TM practitioners, and urinary cortisol excretion was three times higher in controls (2.4 vs. 0.83 microg/h). Months of TM practice inversely correlated with CVD risk factors, suggesting improved endocrine regulation. |
Abstract
Unlike younger women, the risk of cardiovascular disease in older women matches or exceeds that of men. Excessive cortisol may play a role in this increased risk. Here we explore the possibility that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program may reduce the cortisol response to a metabolic stressor as a way of reducing disease risk in older women. Data from 16 women who were long-term practitioners of transcendental meditation (mean = 23 y) were compared with data from 14 control women matched for age (mean = 75 y, range = 65-92 y). Data on demographics, disease symptoms, and psychological variables were collected, and cortisol response to a metabolic stressor (75 g of glucose, orally) was examined in saliva and urine. Pre-glucose levels of salivary cortisol were identical for the two groups. Post-glucose cortisol rose faster in the controls and was significantly higher than that in the TM women (P < 1 3 10(-4)). Urinary excretion of cortisol during this period was 3 times higher in controls than in the TM women (2.4 +/- 0.17 and 0.83 +/- 0.10 microg/h, respectively; P = 2 x 10(-4)). In addition, the number of months practicing transcendental meditation was inversely correlated with CVD risk factors. Lower cortisol response to metabolic challenge may reflect improved endocrine regulation relevant to the disease-preventing effects of transcendental meditation in older women.