Long-term Transcendental Meditation® practice can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and death by about 50% in high-risk individuals.

This is the finding of systematic review of all the published studies on the TM technique and cardiometabolic disease internationally.

The study, entitled “The promising role of Transcendental Meditation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases: A systematic review,” was published earlier this year in a top medical journal, Obesity Reviews. The study was summarized on the website of the World Obesity Federation, publisher of the journal.

The study was conducted by a research team at RMIT University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), a public research university in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Study authors also included MIU researchers Dr. Robert Schneider and Dr. John Salerno. Schneider is dean of the MIU College of Integrative Medicine, director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, and professor of Physiology and Health. Salerno is associate director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention. 

The research group systematically reviewed all the published scientific literature — 45 studies conducted over a span of 30 years — on the effects of TM practice on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, collectively called cardiometabolic disease. Systematic reviews offer one of the strongest methods of scientific research because they combine all published studies on a particular topic — regardless of where, when, by whom, and what was found — in a single overall analysis.  

RMIT Distinguished Professor Barbora de Courten, one of the investigators, said that Transcendental Meditation, which is widely used in Australia and worldwide, had been shown to improve resilience to stress and benefit heart heath.

“Psychological distress has a profound effect in contributing to the onset and progression of cardiometabolic diseases and the associated risk factors,” de Courten said. “We found compelling evidence that this meditation technique effectively lowers blood pressure and reduces insulin resistance — thereby decreasing the risk of diabetes — among other cardio-metabolic health benefits.”

This new study corroborates and extends earlier American Heart Association scientific statements and Cochrane Systematic Reviews on the usefulness of Transcendental Meditation practice for lowering high blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease.

“Because of the promising finding to date uncovered in our systematic review, we are currently planning a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on wellbeing, mental and cardiovascular and metabolic health as well as productivity in our staff at RMIT University,” Professor de Courten said.

Key findings of the study

The systematic analysis of the published research showed that long-term Transcendental Meditation achieved a reduction of blood pressure similar to some mainstream medications, de Courten said. 

“This meditation technique may also play a role in preventing the thickening of artery walls associated with atherosclerosis. This can help improve blood flow to the heart and brain and increase exercise tolerance. All these beneficial effects from Transcendental Meditation can ultimately prevent the occurrence of heart attack, stroke, and death.” 

“This study of thirty years of research together brings all the research up to date, corrects misunderstandings in the field by other reviews, and gives us an expanded picture of the broad health benefits of TM practice,” Schneider said. “The fact that the study calls for phase III clinical trials indicates that the phase II trials were successful. It’s a big thing for everyone here.”

How does meditation help prevent diseases and promote wellbeing?

“Lowering sympathetic tone and related mind-body mechanisms contributes to lower blood pressure and reduced diabetes and metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Schneider said.

“Transcendental Meditation practice leads to greater integration of brain functioning as measured by EEG coherence,” said Dr. Fred Travis, director of MIU’s Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition. “In addition, TM practice resets the body’s stress response system, leading to lower stress reactivity and sympathetic nervous system activation and likely inflammation.” Travis did not participate in the study.

Reporting by the RMIT public affairs office.

Banner photography by Nappy on Unsplash.