The effects of meditation on length of telomeres in healthy individuals: a systematic review.
Nirodhi N Dasanayaka, Nirmala D. Sirisena, Nilakshi Samaranayake
Systematic Reviews May 21, 2021 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-021-01699-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 615 |
| Population | Healthy adults, average age 47.7 years, 41.7% male |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Health status Adult Middle aged Female Bias Randomized controlled trials Systematic review Telomere length Case-control studies Healthy participants |
| Key findings | Across five included studies (two randomized controlled trials and three case-control studies; 615 participants), one case-control study and one trial found significant beneficial effects of meditation on telomere length, while the remaining three studies found positive but non-significant effects. The authors conclude that the effect of meditation on telomere length is still unclear and that larger, well-designed trials are needed. |
Abstract
Background: Meditation-based practices have been suggested to result in many biological benefits which include reduction of attrition of telomeres, the protective nucleotide-protein complexes at termini of eukaryotic chromosomes. This systematic review evaluated the effects of meditation on telomere length (TL) in healthy adults.
Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies conducted to determine the effects of meditation on TL in healthy individuals, published up to July 2020 were retrieved by searching seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Google Scholar). The methodological quality of RCTs and observational studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist, respectively. The data was synthesized narratively and the effect estimates of TL in the RCTs were synthesized using alternative methods as a meta-analysis was not conducted. The certainty of evidence was classified according to the GRADE system.
Results: A total of 1740 articles were screened. Five studies comprising two RCTs and three case-control studies (CCS) were included in the final review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The combined sample consisted of 615 participants with 41.7% males. Average age of participants was 47.7 years. One CCS and one RCT reported significant beneficial effects of meditation on TL while the two remaining CCS and the RCT showed positive effects of meditation on TL which were not significant. For all CCS and one RCT, the methodological quality was high while the remaining RCT was of moderate quality. The quality of evidence for the primary outcome was moderate in RCTs.
Conclusion: The effect of meditation on TL per se is still unclear. Strictly designed and well-reported RCTs with larger sample sizes are required to provide evidence of higher quality. Systematic review
Registration: The protocol of this review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (registration number: CRD42020153977 ).
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 6
- Defining Meditation: Foundations for an Activity-Based Phenomenological Classification System. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus June 1, 2023
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Mindfulness January 25, 2023
- Effects of mindfulness breathing meditation on stress and cognitive functions: a heart rate variability and eye-tracking study Scientific Reports October 24, 2025
- Associations of meditation with telomere dynamics: a case-control study in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology July 14, 2023
and 1 more in the library
Cites 9
- Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion Mindfulness February 22, 2016
- The Effect of Meditation on Self-Reported Measures of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Perfectionism in a College Population Journal of College Student Psychotherapy March 31, 2011
- The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention BioMed Research International 2015
- Meditation and telomere length: a meta-analysis Psychology and Health January 5, 2020
- Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology October 1, 2019
and 4 more in the library