Increased heart rate variability during nondirective meditation.
Anders Nesvold, Morten W Fagerland, Svend Davanger, Øyvind Ellingsen, Erik E Solberg, Are Holen, Knut Sevre, Dan Atar
European journal of preventive cardiology August 2012 DOI: 10.1177/1741826711414625 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27 |
| Population | Middle-aged healthy adults of both genders |
| Intervention | Acem meditation |
| Duration | 20 minutes of rest followed by 20 minutes of meditation |
| Measures | Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | During Acem meditation, heart rate variability increased in low- and high-frequency bands, overall RR-interval variability increased, and low-frequency blood pressure variability decreased, indicating increased parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic activity. Baroreflex sensitivity did not change significantly. |
Abstract
Meditation practices are in use for relaxation and stress reduction. Some studies indicate beneficial cardiovascular health effects of meditation. The effects on the autonomous nervous system seem to vary among techniques. The purpose of the present study was to identify autonomic nerve activity changes during nondirective meditation. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were monitored in 27 middle-aged healthy participants of both genders, first during 20 min regular rest with eyes closed, thereafter practising Acem meditation for 20 min. Haemodynamic and autonomic data were collected continuously (beat-to-beat) and non-invasively. HRV and BPV parameters were estimated by power spectral analyses, computed by an autoregressive model. Spontaneous activity of baroreceptors were determined by the sequence method. Primary outcomes were changes in HRV, BPV, and BRS between rest and meditation. HRV increased in the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) bands during meditation, compared with rest (p = 0.014, 0.013, respectively). Power spectral density of the RR-intervals increased as well (p = 0.012). LF/HF ratio decreased non-significantly, and a reduction of LF-BPV power was observed during meditation (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in BRS. Respiration and heart rates remained unchanged. Blood pressure increased slightly during meditation. There is an increased parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic nerve activity and increased overall HRV, while practising the technique. Hence, nondirective meditation by the middle aged may contribute towards a reduction of cardiovascular risk.