Single Session Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Aortic Pulsatile Load and Anxiety in Mild to Moderately Anxious Adults
John Durocher, Hannah Marti, Brigitte Morin, Travis R. Wakeham
The FASEB Journal April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.714.19 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Adults aged 24±8 years with mild to moderate anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory score ≥8) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | Single 60-minute session; assessments before, immediately after, and 60 minutes after meditation |
| Measures | Aortic pulsatile load (aortic pulse pressure × heart rate), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key points | A single 60-minute guided mindfulness meditation session reduced aortic pulsatile load from 2008 to 1730 a.u. immediately after and to 1729 a.u. 60 minutes later, and lowered Beck Anxiety Inventory scores from 15 to 11 at 60 minutes. The authors argue these cardiovascular and psychological benefits may help protect end organs and prevent vascular dysfunction. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to have numerous health benefits when used over the course of days or weeks, but the effect of a single session on aortic pulsatility and anxiety is unclear. Therefore we sought to determine if a single session of mindfulness meditation could effectively reduce aortic pulsatile load and anxiety. Fourteen adults (24±8 years) with mild to moderate anxiety (≥8 Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)) participated in a 60 minute guided mindfulness meditation session. Baseline aortic pulsatile load (aortic pulse pressure × heart rate) and BAI were assessed approximately one week prior to the mindfulness meditation session during a study orientation. Aortic pulsatile load was assessed before, immediately after, and 60 minutes after the mindfulness meditation session. Anxiety was also assessed 60 minutes following meditation. The single mindfulness session reduced aortic pulsatile load from 2008±108 to 1730±85 a.u. immediately after meditation (p<0.01). The reduction in aortic pulsatile load was maintained 60 minutes post‐meditation (1729±99 a.u.; p<0.02). The BAI score was also significantly reduced 60 minutes post‐meditation compared to baseline (15±1 vs. 11±2; p<0.02). Our findings demonstrate that even a single session of mindfulness meditation can have cardiovascular and psychological benefits for adults with mild to moderate anxiety. Reductions in pulsatile load may help to reduce damage to end organs such as the brain and kidneys, while reduced anxiety could help to prevent vascular dysfunction. Support or Funding Information Supported by the Portage Health Foundation. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.