Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program and Improved Cardiovascular Health:

Journal Publications and Conference Presentations 1995 to 1999:

 

--American Heart Association's journal Hypertension (November 1995 and August 1996)--Clinical studies on older African Americans found  that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program was (1) as effective  as antihypertensive drugs in reducing blood pressure, (2) twice as effective as progressive muscle relaxation in lowering hypertension, and (3) effective in reducing blood pressure for both men and women  in all five major risk-factor groups including obesity, high alcohol use, low exercise level, psychological stress and high salt intake.

 

--American Journal of Cardiology (May 1996)--Study found that the TM program significantly reduced myocardial ischemia in coronary artery

disease patients after eight months of practice.

 

--Psychosomatic Medicine (January 1998)--Study found that practice of the TM program was associated with lower serum lipid peroxide levels (oxidized

blood fats) in the elderly.

 

--Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting (March 3-6, 1999)--Findings of three clinical trials reported 50 percent lower mortality from heart disease, cancer and all causes in high-risk Caucasian and African American subjects randomly assigned to practice the TM technique.

 

--Ethnicity and Disease (August 1998)--Findings presented at the 13th International Interdisciplinary Conference on Hypertension in Blacks (July 12-15, 1998) showed a regression of carotid atherosclerosis in African American subjects at high risk for CVD practicing the TM technique.

 

--The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Fall 1995)--A study found that students practicing the TM program had lower levels of blood cortisol, a biochemical measure that normally  increases with chronic stress. It also found that metabolites of three neurotransmitters (serotonin, adrenaline and noradrenaline), associated with stress and the effects of stress, changed in the direction of reducing blood pressure.

 

--Psychosomatic Medicine  (January 1999). This study investigated the effects of TM on cardiovascular reactivity in adolescents with high normal blood pressure. In this study the TM group exhibited greater decreases in resting blood pressure, and vascular resistance from pre- to post-treatment, compared to the CTL group.  The TM group exhibited greater decreases in stress reactivity from pre- to post-treatment .  The TM program appears to have a beneficial impact upon CV functioning at rest and during acute laboratory stress in adolescents at-risk for hypertension.

 

--The American Heart Association journal Circulation (February 1996). This paper was presented at the 36th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease

Epidemiology and Prevention, March 13-15, 1996,  and reported the results of 8 year and 15 year follow-ups on a randomized controlled trial of stress

reduction on cardiovascular and all cause mortality. Findings showed that TM reduced incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in the elderly.

 

--Ethnicity & Disease (July 1996), Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Hypertension in Blacks (Supplement).  This paper was presented  at the of the 11th International  Conference on Hypertension in Blacks,  July 14-17, 1996.  The paper reported on findings of a five year follow-up on all-cause and CVD mortality of a randomized trial of stress reduction in older African American hypertensives.  The results showed increased that TM reduced reduced incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in a high risk population of elderly African Americans.

 

--Physiology and  Behavior  (March 1996).  This study reports on the effects on regional cerebral blood flow of TM.  The findings were increased cerebral blood flow and a high correlation between increased cerebral blood flow and decreased cerebrovascular resistance during TM.

 

--Ethnicity & Disease (1997). This paper was presented at the Twelfth International Interdisciplinary Conference on Hypertension in Blacks. In a trial comparing TM and a diet and exercise program, left ventricular mass was shown to  and diastolic function were shown to improve in hypertensive African Americans

 

--International Journal of Neuroscience  (January 1997).  This paper reported on a controlled study on the effects of TM on cardiovascular reactivity and ambulatory blood pressure. In subjects regularly practicing TM there was a significant reduction in average ambulatory diastolic blood pressure compared to controls.

 

Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program and Improved Cardiovascular Health: Journal Publications and Conference Presentations 1995 to Present:

 

--American Heart Association's journal Hypertension (November 1995 and August 1996)--Clinical studies on older African Americans found that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program was (1) as effective as antihypertensive drugs in reducing blood pressure, (2) twice as effective as progressive muscle relaxation in lowering hypertension, and (3) effective in reducing blood pressure for both men and women in all five major risk-factor groups including obesity, high alcohol use, low exercise level, psychological stress and high salt intake.

 

--American Journal of Cardiology (May 1996)--Study found that the TM program significantly reduced myocardial ischemia in coronary artery disease patients after eight months of practice.

 

--Psychosomatic Medicine (January 1998)--Study found that practice of the TM program was associated with lower serum lipid peroxide levels (oxidized

blood fats) in the elderly.

 

--Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting (March 3-6, 1999)--Findings of three clinical trials reported 50 percent lower mortality from heart disease, cancer and all causes in high-risk Caucasian and African American subjects randomly assigned to practice the TM technique.

 

--Ethnicity and Disease (August 1998)--Findings presented at the 13th International Interdisciplinary Conference on Hypertension in Blacks (July 12-15, 1998) showed a regression of carotid atherosclerosis in African American subjects at high risk for CVD practicing the TM technique.

 

--The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Fall 1995)--A study found that students practicing the TM program had lower levels of blood cortisol, a biochemical measure that normally increases with chronic stress. It also found that metabolites of three neurotransmitters (serotonin, adrenaline and noradrenaline),

associated with stress and the effects of stress, changed in the direction of reducing blood pressure.

 

--Psychosomatic Medicine  (January 1999). This study investigated the effects of TM on cardiovascular reactivity in adolescents with high normal blood pressure. In this study the TM group exhibited greater decreases in resting blood pressure, and vascular resistance from pre- to post-treatment, compared to the CTL group.  The TM group exhibited greater decreases in stress reactivity from pre- to post-treatment .  The TM program appears to have a beneficial impact upon CV functioning at rest and during acute laboratory stress in adolescents at-risk for hypertension.

 

--The American Heart Association journal Circulation (February 1996). This paper was presented at the 36th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease

Epidemiology and Prevention, March 13-15, 1996,  and reported the results of 8 year and 15 year follow-ups on a randomized controlled trial of stress

reduction on cardiovascular and all cause mortality. Findings showed that TM reduced incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in the elderly.

 

--Ethnicity & Disease (July 1996), Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Hypertension in Blacks (Supplement).  This paper was presented  at the of the 11th International  Conference on Hypertension in Blacks,  July 14-17, 1996.  The paper reported on findings of a five year follow-up on all-cause and CVD mortality of a randomized trial of stress reduction in older African American hypertensives.  The results showed increased that TM reduced reduced incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in a high risk population of elderly African Americans.

 

--Physiology and  Behavior  (March 1996).  This study reports on the effects on regional cerebral blood flow of TM.  The findings were increased cerebral blood flow and a high correlation between increased cerebral blood flow and decreased cerebrovascular resistance during TM.

 

--Ethnicity & Disease (1997). This paper was presented at the Twelfth International Interdisciplinary Conference on Hypertension in Blacks. In a trial comparing TM and a diet and exercise program, left ventricular mass was shown to  and diastolic function were shown to improve in hypertensive African Americans

 

--International Journal of Neuroscience  (January 1997).  This paper reported on a controlled study on the effects of TM on cardiovascular reactivity and ambulatory blood pressure. In subjects regularly practicing TM there was a significant reduction in average ambulatory diastolic blood pressure compared to controls.

 

Compiled by:

Vernon Barnes PhD