Meditation reduces the risk of heart disease
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Meditation can be an excellent prevention of cardiovascular disease.
According to research by scientists from the University of Wisconsin, the group of patients practicing transcendental meditation sessions reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke and death by 48% compared to the group of patients who did not meditate.
Those who practiced meditation could not only improve their physiological state by lowering the pressure with the help of the exercises, but also reported improvement in the emotional and psychic sphere - some could overcome depression, stress and get rid of bouts of anger.
According to the authors of the study, the longer patients practiced meditation, the less threatened the development of cardiovascular diseases.
"We suggested that reducing stress with mind and body management can improve the performance of people at risk," said Robert Schneider, a senior researcher and director of the Natural Medicine Institute. - And our assumption was confirmed. Transcendental meditation is a technique by which the release of stress hormones decreases. This effect is ensured by a decrease in pressure and calming of the sympathetic nervous system. "
201 people took part in the research.
Forty-two percent of participants were women, the average age of which was 59 years.
The volunteers were divided into two groups. During the entire period of the experiment, one of the groups took medications that lowered blood pressure, as well as drugs that interfere with the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, the participants of this group passed a course of lectures on the principles of the cardiovascular system. And the second group, in addition, daily engaged in transcendental meditation for 20 minutes.
As a result of a five-year study, the experts found that in the group where sessions of transcendental meditation were conducted, strokes, heart attacks and deaths occurred 48% less than the control group.
Drugs that reduce cholesterol, could reduce the threat of heart disease by only 30-40%, and drugs that reduce blood pressure - by 25-30%.
According to scientists, the clinical outcome of the study was directly affected by the work of the brain.
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