| cientific research study conducted at the | | | | Reduced Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke |
| University of Kentucky College of Medicine | | | | Anderson added that long-term changes in blood |
| provides further evidence that people with high | | | | pressure of this magnitude are associated with at |
| blood pressure can find relief through | | | | least a 15 percent reduction in rates of heart |
| meditationbut the study also found that not all | | | | attack and stroke. "This is important to everyone |
| forms of meditation are equally effective. The | | | | because cardiovascular disease is the number one |
| study compared findings from research on | | | | cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide," |
| several well-known types of meditation and | | | | Anderson said. The study's biostatistician, Maxwell |
| relaxation practices, and found that the only mind | | | | Rainforth, assistant professor of Physiology and |
| body practice that produces significant changes in | | | | Health Statistics at Maharishi University of |
| blood pressure is the Transcendental Meditation | | | | Management, said the meta-analysis used |
| technique. | | | | state-of-the-art statistical methods to review 107 |
| According to a definitive new meta-analysis of | | | | published studies in the field of stress reduction, |
| 107 previous studies on stress reduction | | | | relaxation and blood pressure. "The twenty-three |
| programs and high blood pressure, published in the | | | | separate studies included in the final analysis met |
| American Journal of Hypertension (Vol. 21, 3: | | | | well-known criteria for high scientific quality. That |
| 310-316), the Transcendental Meditation technique | | | | is, these studies used repeated blood pressure |
| was found to produce a statistically significant | | | | measurements and participants were randomized |
| reduction in high blood pressurean effect not | | | | to either a stress reduction technique or |
| found with other forms of relaxation, meditation, | | | | placebo-type control for at least eight weeks. The |
| biofeedback or stress management. | | | | data we used are all published in peer-reviewed |
| Significant Reductions in Blood Pressure | | | | scientific journals," Rainforth said. |
| The new meta-analysis reviewed randomized, | | | | Side Benefits of TM vs. side effects of drugs |
| controlled trials published in peer-reviewed scientific | | | | According to Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the |
| journals over the past decades concerning stress | | | | Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention and |
| reduction and relaxation methods used by | | | | co-author, this rigorously conducted meta-analysis |
| participants with high blood pressure. Blood | | | | indicates that the Transcendental Meditation |
| pressure changes through the Transcendental | | | | technique is distinctively effective compared to |
| Meditation technique included average reductions | | | | other scientifically studied techniques in lowering |
| of 5.0 points of systolic and 2.8 points of diastolic | | | | high blood pressure. "For those 100 million |
| blood pressure, changes which were statistically | | | | Americans with elevated blood pressure, here is a |
| significant, according to the review. These | | | | scientifically documented, yet simple and easy |
| changes associated with Transcendental Meditation | | | | way to lower blood pressure without drugs and |
| practice were consistent with other controlled | | | | harmful side effects. In addition, related studies |
| studies showing reductions in cardiovascular risk | | | | show an integrated set of positive 'side benefits,' |
| factors, improved markers of heart disease, and | | | | such as reduced stress, reduced heart disease |
| reduced mortality rates among participants in the | | | | levels and longer lifespan with this technique to |
| Transcendental Meditation program. | | | | restore balance in the cardiovascular system, |
| Transcendental Meditation equivalent to adding | | | | mind and body," Schneider said. |
| a second hypertensive agent | | | | Overturns a previous study on meditation |
| "The magnitude of the changes in blood pressure | | | | The new meta-analysis was co-authored by |
| with the Transcendental Meditation technique are | | | | researchers at the University of Kentucky College |
| at least as great as the changes found with | | | | of Medicine, in Louisville, and at the NIH-funded |
| major changes in diet or exercise that doctors | | | | Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at |
| often recommend," said Dr. James Anderson, | | | | Maharishi University of Management in Iowa. |
| principal author of the study. "Yet the | | | | According to Dr. Anderson, the findings of this |
| Transcendental Meditation technique does not | | | | new study rebut a July 2007 report sponsored by |
| require changes in lifestyle. Thus many patients | | | | the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality |
| with mild hypertension or prehypertension may be | | | | and the NIH-National Center for Complementary |
| able to avoid the need to take blood pressure | | | | and Alternative Medicine, which concluded that |
| medicationsall of which have adverse side | | | | most research on meditation is low quality and |
| effects. Individuals with more severe forms of | | | | found little evidence that any specific stress |
| hypertension may be able to reduce the number | | | | reduction effectively lowers blood pressure. |
| or dosages of their BP medications under the | | | | The new meta-analysis identified all high quality |
| guidance of their doctor. | | | | meditation studies published through 2006 and |
| Dr. Anderson stated further: Adding | | | | rigorously analyzed their results, which the |
| Transcendental Meditation is about equivalent to | | | | previous government report failed to do. |
| adding a second hypertensive agent to one's | | | | Anderson said the new meta-analysis includes only |
| current regiment, only safer and less | | | | high quality studies on all available stress reduction |
| troublesome. | | | | interventions. |