The Facts:
* The metabolic syndrome is thought to contribute to coronary heart disease and this study explored the possibility that meditation could reduce some of the factors thought to contribute to the syndrome.
* A variety of measures including blood pressure and insulin resistance were measured in over 100 people with stable heart disease who either received educational advice or participated in this type of meditation.
* The results showed a clear advantage for the group undertaking transcendental meditation.
Shaun’s comment: Transcendental Meditation or TM is a trademarked form of meditation and the name of a movement led by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Advocates of TM claim that scientific research shows its meditation techniques produce a variety of positive effects. In this study, patients using the technique saw an improvement in blood pressure and other factors related to coronary heart disease including insulin resistance. This is consistent with other published studies over the last 35 years and makes TM an interesting option for patients who are worried about their heart disease. Whether the same effects would be seen with other types of relaxation technique or just TM remains to be proven.
Study Reference:
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/11/1218
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