Heart Disease

Strongest Study Yet Shows Meditation Can Lower Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

By Laura BlueNov. 14, 20120

nicolas hansen / Getty Images

Most doctors say meditation can’t hurt you, but now there’s reassuring evidence that it may help you as well when it comes to warding off disease.

Previous studies have linked better health outcomes among heart patients who practiced meditation compared to those who did not, but none of those trials could definitively credit the brain-focusing program with the better health results. In the latest trial to address those limitations, however, meditation does appear to have an effect on reducing heart attack, stroke and even early death from heart disease, at least among African-Americans.

MORE: Losing Focus? Studies Say Meditation May Help

“The main finding [of our research] is that, added on top of usual medical care, intervention with a mind-body technique — transcendental meditation — can have a major effect on cardiovascular events,” says Robert Schneider, lead author on the study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes and a professor at the Maharishi University of Management, an institution in Iowa that was founded by the creator of transcendental meditation.

He and his colleagues followed 201 African American men and women, who are at higher risk of heart disease than whites, but who also had addition reason to worry about heart attacks and strokes since they were also diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The participants were randomly assigned to participate in either a health education class about heart-friendly diet and exercise, or to attend a transcendental meditation program. Transcendental meditation involves shutting out the outside world and focusing thoughts inward, or resting while remaining alert. All of the participants continued to receive their normal medical care as well, including appropriate medication.

MORE: Medical Meditation: Say Om Before Surgery

After roughly five years of follow-up, the researchers found a 48% reduction in the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause among members of the meditation group compared to those from the health education group. The meditating group enjoyed an average drop of 4.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure compared to the control group and also reported less stress and less anger. “It’s like discovering a whole new class of medications,” Schneider says of the power of meditation in improving the patients’ health.

But while the magnitude of those results is remarkable, the study involved a relatively small number of participants, and did not reveal how meditation may be lowering heart disease risk. On the surface, it’s intuitively obvious that stress management can affect heart health for the better; anxiety and stress cause blood pressure to shoot up and leave us on edge, triggering spikes in heart-harming stress hormones like cortisol.

But many experts are skeptical of the alleged benefits of techniques such as transcendental meditation that claim to reduce stress by a substantial amount. In the past, these benefits have been hard to test scientifically, largely because study participants who volunteered for meditation programs may have been biased to see them succeed. Practitioners have also made strong and essentially unsubstantiated claims about the powers of meditation, leading heart experts and scientists to be especially skeptical. In fact, in 2005, more than 500 brain researchers signed a petition (albeit an unsuccessful one) to protest a scheduled lecture on the neuroscience of meditation by the Buddhist spiritual icon, the Dalai Lama, at a major conference organized by the Society for Neuroscience.

MORE: Mind Over Matter: Can Zen Meditation Help You Forget About Pain?

The great lengths to which the researchers of the Circulation study went to make their trial scientifically rigorous, however, should reinforce the results in the eyes of some skeptics. The scientists adjusted for the effects of weight, smoking behavior, and diet, all of which can influence heart attack, stroke and early heart death rates. And while the participants in both groups exercised more and cut back on alcohol during the study, they did so at similar rates, making these changes unlikely to be responsible for the differences in health outcomes either.

While the findings aren’t likely to resolve questions over whether meditation should become a standard part of heart disease care, the results should give more doctors confidence in discussing the practice with their patients and giving them some scientifically based information that’s an improvement over the advice that “it can’t hurt to try.”

VIDEO: Practicing Meditation for Female Pleasure

32 comments

Newest | Oldest

RexBruce

For-profit spirituality is a self-canceling proposition. What can be gained by meditation is a human birthright and can be practiced by anyone and is a pan-cultural phenomenon across history. TM, while clearly valid for this study, does not stand for "trademark", I'm afraid. There have been many other studies with other types of meditation and different approaches to collecting scientific data more directly seeing what happens biologically when meditation practitioners go at it. The "endpoints" approach is encouraging and while it seems like it is stating the obvious to anyone doing it for decades, it is very significant in encouraging acknowledgment for medical science and can indeed save lives and improve quality of life across the board.

lloyd.allhorizonfinancial

This is great Medical News ,Mind body technique actually speed up the healing process,This should be a part of the recovery process may actually help to reduce the cost of Health care.If the cost of medical care is reduce then we may also see cost reduction in Individual health Insurance going forward.

Bienfaits

This only works because of one single principle: we have forgotten the means to withdraw the benefits available to our body and ourselves, from deep within us. It is there, it is our birthright. In fact, this transcendental meditation does only one thing: to restore what is missing, that's all, but only MT do that so well and so easily: http://www.bienfaits-meditation.com/en/the_transcendental_meditation/uniqueness_of_the_transcendental_meditation_technique

French:Cela fonctionne en raison d’un seul principe : nous avons oublié le moyen d'aller profondément en nous pour en retirer les bienfaits naturellement disponibles pour notre corps et pour nous. C’est notre droit de naissance. En fait cette méditation transcendantale ne fait qu'une seule chose: restaurer ce qui manque, c’est tout, mais il n’y que la MT qui le fasse aussi bien et si facilement : http://www.bienfaits-meditation.com/fr/la_meditation_transcendantale/unicite_de_la_meditation_transcendantale

DeepakChi

TM just works - any meditation technique that can be practiced successfully by kids in highly stressful social environments is worth considering -->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0pnxsdrIAk&feature=share&list=PL257A2D6891B6B3D6

jrcsamad

There is a great deal of good evidence that Transcendental Meditation causes a very different type of brain wave activity than other meditations. Look for the work of Dr. Fred Travis at Maharishi University of Management. Yes...he is a long term TM meditator, but his research has been well received by many of his peers throughout the world. He has his own website discussing the results of his research.

agintm

1 Like

I have no problem believing that sitting quietly twice a day can have beneficial effects on the human physiology, whether you are repeating a mantra or not. What I have a problem with is the TM Movement claiming that TM is head and shoulders above every other meditation technique on earth. The TM people say this because Maharishi claimed this when he first started teaching TM in the 1950's.

What I also have a problem with are people who work for the TM Movement who post on such forums as this, using very similar language, yet not disclosing they have a vested interest in promoting TM.

There are 2 other things I dislike - One, that David Lynch is spearheading a push to make TM palatable to the general public, that the news articles and appearances of celebrities on TV stumping for TM seems to be popping up spontaneously, but it is a very carefully orchestrated PR campaign that isn't announcing itself as such.

And two, I do not like the TM info being presented in a vacuum - if these studies and PR efforts also included information on the problems that many TM'ers encounter on long meditation retreats, (the famous "unstressing" phenomenon) and the fact that the TM leaders wear crowns, call themselves kings, believe in all sorts of rather strange things such as not entering a home or any kind of building through a south facing entrance, the fact that the leaders of the TM Movement constantly ask for large amounts of money that is never spent on the projects it is asked for, the fact that the Indian TM Movement is in a shambles with Maharishi's nephews engaged in legal battles with other Maharishi followers that includes allegations of theft, forgery, illegal land sales - hardly behavior one would expect from people who have been doing TM for years and years - if all these facts were offered for a full look at the TM organization then I would have nothing to say.

And yes these things do have something to do with the effects of TM - if people who have done TM for years behave in a unsavory way, the general public needs to know it if they are being enticed to do TM.

Chrissy

I am a practicer of TM, and I completely agree. I say I am a practicer of TM because I paid the thousand bucks to learn the top secret technique. I found that there is nothing special at all about the technique--you can learn it from anyone who uses a mantra-based technique. It is nice to have someone to ask questions about the technique and coach you through it. The people are very nice. And it was worth it just for them to convince me to practice it regularly and to be reassured that I was "doing it right." But the cultish aspects of the TM movement are a huge turn-off.

jrcsamad

@agintm While not everything in the the TM Movement is lily white perfect from an ideal perspective..you should be careful not to discourage people from looking into this great technique for bringing healing to the nervous system. I'm thinking of the vet i heard at a David Lynch, Warrior Wellness event who told his story of being close to doing himself in until someone suggested he try TM through the warrior Wellness program. He,' like many, many other vets who suffer from PTSD made a quick recovery from his serious trauma...it, most likely saved his life. It would be a tragedy if these people were discouraged from trying TM. And ....yes...evidence shows that TM has a more immediate and profound effect than just closing your eyes or practicing many other kinds of meditation...a difference that would make a world of difference for these people.

Chrissy

As a brain scientist who has reviewed the TM literature, as well as a TM practitioner, I have to strongly disagree with the assertion that TM has a stronger effect than closing your eyes or practicing other types of meditation. This is just not true. In fact, having read much on other types of meditation and practicing myself before going for training by TM practitioners, I would say that TM is very much the same thing as many other types of meditation and that one can arrive at it for themselves just by regularly closing your eyes for a good period oneself. My strongest reaction when I "learned TM" was "Oh, OK, this is very familiar. This is what I have been doing since discovering it on my own as a child." I agree with some assertions of the TMers that it is a very natural and healthy process. But the science is not to be trusted. Meditate for the benefit of your soul, not out of the brainwashing that the TM movement inflicts on the world.

Chrissy

No one pays me to write my opinions about TM. You?

DeepakChi

@Chrissy hey Chrissy, so who pays You for writing these scientifically unsupported misleading statements?

tlccabin

TM has been a significant boon managing my stress levels and as a result my health, creativity, relationships and overall life in general has benefited. Research findings are great but my experience says it's the right choice for me!

easyrider202

I too started TM in the early 70’s, but I have nothing but good to say about it. I was a 2nd-year college student and it was a significant investment at the time, but have always felt that it was money very, very well spent: more energy, more clarity, better ideas in my essays, and thro the years it has been a great support. At a health and fitness evaluation a year ago, they told me that I was 12 years younger biologically than the norm for my age. Now I don’t think its entirely due to the stress-reducing effect of TM—but I am convinced that TM has helped me develop a taste for healthier choices in life, which strongly influenced this result. And the research on TM is not flawed—there have been 340 peer-reviewed studies to date, according to Norman Rosenthal, MD, author of Transcendence.And not a single one of them reported anything but benefits from the practice. The study of mortality reported here went thro an independent review and was published in a journal of the American Medical Assoc. Those who deny the helpfulness of TM for health are no more rational than the birthers.

Chrissy

It's not that TM isn't beneficial. It's that it's no more beneficial than many other types of meditation that don't come with all the brainwashing. Maharishi started pushing the science to make what is generally a spiritual practice more palatable to Americans who are great believers in science. I am both a brain scientist and a religious person. I find the spiritual arguments of Buddhism for the benefits of meditation to be far more convincing than the pseudoscience promoted by the TMers. You don't need to pay $1000 to learn how to meditate. You can get the same benefits by practicing on your own using techniques learned from books or other spiritual teachers. The most important thing is to meditate daily for a substantial period of time (20 minutes twice daily as promoted by TM is a good amount). I have gone through TM training, yet I hesitate to say that I practice TM because I basically do the same thing I was doing before I went through the training. I received some helpful tips through training, but it is not fundamentally different from other types of meditation.

induchhibber

Meditation requires a lot of discipline in mind & body.A fidgety body or a perturbed mind cannot sit still or concentrate.Therefore it is beneficial to start with Yoga & Pranayam,which together prepare the person to sit in meditation.For the basic requisites of Yoga please look here http://jeeteraho.blogspot.in/2011/03/fit-and-fine-with-yoga-in-line.html

agintm

1 Like

Look, I have had enough experience with the TM movement to know that as soon as the TM people see any kind of "negative" remarks about TM they have their people rush to the web site and post all sorts of loving songs about the glory of TM. I wish that Laura Blue would have done due diligence on this article as in looking at this blog. http://cardiobrief.org/2012/11/13/mysterious-disappearing-paper-finally-reappears-in-another-journal/

Of course if Laura Blue is a TM meditator it would be nice to know that fact. TM is ok, but it is not the panacea the TM people claim it is. If anyone has been doing TM long term, then they know there are many many people who have developed mental emotional problems as a result of too much TM - ever heard the word unstressing? The TM people never mention these folks, nor the long term TM practitioners who commit suicide, get in poor health and have various other problems. If you wanna do TM, do it, but don't try to make out as if it is God's gift to humanity - there are too many of us old time TM'ers who can refute that song and dance.

Chrissy

As a practitioner of TM (which is basically the same thing I was doing before taking the TM class, based on reading about meditation and practicing it on my own), I agree that TM is not a panacea. I have benefited greatly from meditating, not only post-TM training but also since I was a child who developed basically the same technique on my own. But I know some pretty screwed up long-term TMers. I wouldn't blame the TM for their problems any more than I would credit all of the good things about some other very healthy long-term TMers I know to TM. People vary. Meditation is a good thing to do for your mind, body, and soul. But you don't need to worship at the cult of TM and pay the high fees and believe the pseudo-science to benefit. Any meditation can be helpful. The important thing is to do it. And having a coach, whether TM or some other spiritual advisor, can be very helpful.

DeepakChi

It is very important to have the right meditation technique to achieve the result. The study mentioned was about transcendental meditation. Other techniques do not have the same result as TM does - in fact, most of them do not work at all.

Chrissy

False. DeepakChi is clearly a true believer, not a scientist.

agintm

I learned TM in the 1970's and spent some years both meditating and working for the TM Movement - the research is flawed, the claims made for TM and its "advanced" programs are designed to funnel a great deal of money to the leaders of the TM organization. It is no accident that there is so much "buzz" about TM in the news these days - the TM movement is on the wane and the TM people are attempting to revitalize a dying money making deal. All this PR is being orchestrated to create a new generation of gullible money donors by TM leaders and their poster boy David Lynch - TM is no better or worse than any other meditation - take the advice of a long time meditator - save your money and your mind - learn any meditation other than TM.

meHimanshu

One of the most powerful and effective meditations and breathing technique available out there: http://www.artofliving.org/in-en. I'd suggest anyone who is even remotely considering learning meditation to give it a try.

MatterOrganic

I've been doing TM because it's so easy and it brings results right away, clearer thinking, more energy, etc. It's also good to know about the reduction in stroke and heart attacks.

Chrissy

All types of meditation are easy and bring results right away. Doesn't have to be capital T capital M.

MatterOrganic

@Chrissy It's good to hear your experience. I have to say though that's not been my experience with other meditations at all and it's not true from what I've read and has not been the experience of most people that I've encountered. Thanks for sharing your unusual discovery as a child.

tammy

This is a compelling and important study. It has gone through far more scrutiny and peer-review analysis than studies usually do, and no design flaws were identified. There is also a strong precedence of solid research on TM in many other areas, especially cardiovascular, that supports the theoretical basis for TM’s positive effects on cardio health and mortality.There’s a fine line between healthy skepticism (which can play a natural role in the scientific process) and cynical bias, which can cloud one’s judgement and obstruct a fair appraisal of a research study. It seems the important questions here are, did the TM protocol really produce the results that the study’s findings suggest? Does the research design control for variables sufficiently, and does the data support the findings?

No definitive explanation was ever provided for the pulling of the first study. This article's insinuation is clearly that the first study was somehow tainted, but the article provides no evidence or reasoning for that. I think a more likely cause for Archives withdrawing the study “without explanation” was that they just got cold feet about publishing a study on meditation that showed an alternative protocol radically outperforming conventional medicine. For all I know, the same kind of bias at work in your article was behind the pulling of the first paper.

TerryA

This is great to know. TM has helped me stay young and healthy over the years. TM meditation feels good and heals mind and body at the same time.

PictureShow

TM has helped my 84 year old Mom lower her blood pressure and its helped me maintain normal BP and cholesterol despite my advancing age. Oh, and by the way TM is a dynamic meditation process that is totally easy method of settling down naturally without any concentration or effort. It does not, as the article says, involve"shutting out the outside world or focusing on thoughts". Just thought you'd wanna know........ Peace!

Chrissy

It IS "a totally easy method of settling down naturally without any concentrtion or effort"--well, maybe a little concentration as effort as when you recognize your mind wondering, you gently bring it back to the mantra. And if the mantra does not start on it's own, you start it. But TMers refuse to recognize either of those things as concentration or effort. Nevertheless, it is easy and natural, and you don't need to spend $1000 to learn it. You can read books about meditation or find other spiritual gurus to teach you to meditate, and it will be just as effective BECAUSE it is actually the same thing. Regardless of what the TMers (most of whom have never tried anything else) say.

DulcetFox

2 Like

Strongest study to date? This study was pulled from another journal before publication, and then submitted to a different journal with different data, without the knowledge of that journal that it had previously been sent to a journal before it.

http://cardiobrief.org/2012/11/13/mysterious-disappearing-paper-finally-reappears-in-another-journal/

BillFehr

1 Like

I question any study funded by an organization who may benefit from the results. a.k.a TM

Wiseaton

@BillFehr It was Funded by the National Institutes of Health, not TM. Some of the researchers practice TM and some others dont. Be skeptical, but be fair.

agintm

@Wiseaton @BillFehr

You know you are right, it was funded by the NIH - and who got the $$$? THe TM people - all of the researchers do TM except maybe for 2 - the others are all long term TM'ers and most have been on faculty at the TM University in Fairfield Iowa. Let's be fair, transparent and honest. There is an orchestrated effort to sanitize the image of TM, taking it back to the pre-TM Sidhi progam days of the early 1970's. The effort is being spearheaded by David Lynch.

In the interest of being fair, open and honest, let the public know what the TM organization wants them to do after starting TM - the TM Sidhi programe, Maharishi Ayurveda, Maharishi jyotish, Maharishi yagyas, re-building their homes according to Maharishi vastu veda so the entrance to the home will face east and following the leaders of the TM movement who all wears gold crowns and call themselves kings - oh yes and lets not forget that theyalso expect you to believe that groups of people supposedly practicing levitation together will create world peace - in 37 years of the practice of so-called "yogi flying" no one has ever actually levitated and the world is in much worse shape today fiscally and with more war across the globe than when the yogic flying was begun. The evidence of world events shows what the TM organization refers to as "proven technology" doesn't work.

As a long time meditator, I suggest that people learn any method other than TM to avoid the hucksterism and dishonesty of the TM movement.