Review of controlled research on the transcendental meditation program and cardiovascular disease. Risk factors, morbidity, and mortality.
Kenneth G Walton, Robert H Schneider, Sanford Nidich
Cardiology in review 2004 DOI: 10.1097/01.crd.0000113021.96119.78 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that Transcendental Meditation reduces traditional and novel CVD risk factors, including blood pressure, tobacco and alcohol use, cholesterol and lipid oxidation, and psychosocial stress, with associated reductions in atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, left ventricular hypertrophy, CVD-related health insurance claims, and mortality. |
Abstract
Because of growing evidence for stress as a major factor contributing to cardiovascular disease (CVD), techniques of meditation are being increasingly used. The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is distinct from other techniques of meditation not only in its origin and procedure, but also in the amount and breadth of research testing it. Evidence for its ability to reduce traditional and novel risk factors for CVD includes: 1) decreases in blood pressure, 2) reduced use of tobacco and alcohol, 3) lowering of high cholesterol and lipid oxidation, and 4) decreased psychosocial stress. Changes expected to result from reducing these risk factors, namely, reversal of atherosclerosis, reduction of myocardial ischemia and left ventricular hypertrophy, reduced health insurance claims for CVD, and reduced mortality, also have been found with TM practice. Research on mechanisms suggests that some of the CVD-related benefits as a result of this technique could arise from normalization of neuroendocrine systems whose function has been distorted by chronic stress. Further randomized clinical trials are in progress with a focus on underserved minority populations.
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 33
- Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 9, 2018
- Can Meditation Slow Rate of Cellular Aging? Cognitive Stress, Mindfulness, and Telomeres Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009
- 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
- Sitting-meditation interventions among youth: a review of treatment efficacy. Pediatrics August 24, 2009
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence ISRN Psychiatry November 14, 2012
and 28 more in the library
Cites 14
- Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989
- Stress Reduction and Preventing Hypertension: Preliminary Support for a Psychoneuroendocrine Mechanism The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine June 1, 1995
- Treating and Preventing Alcohol, Nicotine, and Drug Abuse Through Transcendental Meditation: Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly October 26, 1994
- Lower Lipid Peroxide Levels in Practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation[registered sign] Program Psychosomatic Medicine 1998
- Catecholamine levels in practitioners of the transcendental meditation technique. Physiology & Behavior January 2001
and 9 more in the library