A Randomized Controlled Trial on Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Blood Pressure, Psychological Distress, and Coping in Young Adults

Abstract

Background Psychological distress contributes to the development of hypertension in young adults. This trial assessed the effects of a mind–body intervention on blood pressure (BP), psychological distress, and coping in college students. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 298 university students randomly allocated to either the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program or wait-list control. At baseline and after 3 months, BP, psychological distress, and coping ability were assessed. A subgroup of 159 subjects at risk for hypertension was analyzed similarly. Results Changes in systolic BP (SBP)/diastolic BP (DBP) for the overall sample were −2.0/−1.2 mm Hg for the TM group compared to +0.4/+0.5 mm Hg for controls (P = 0.15, P = 0.15, respectively). Changes in SBP/DBP for the hypertension risk subgroup were −5.0/−2.8 mm Hg for the TM group compared to +1.3/+1.2 mm Hg for controls (P = 0.014, P = 0.028, respectively). Significant improvements were found in total psychological distress, anxiety, depression, anger/hostility, and coping (P values < 0.05). Changes in psychological distress and coping correlated with changes in SBP (P values < 0.05) and DBP (P values < 0.08). Conclusions This is the first RCT to demonstrate that a selected mind–body intervention, the TM program, decreased BP in association with decreased psychological distress, and increased coping in young adults at risk for hypertension. This mind–body program may reduce the risk for future development of hypertension in young adults.

P Values: Use and Misuse in Medical Literature

“…Not long ago, this journal published a report of a randomized, controlled trial that tested whether blood pressure (BP) could be reduced with a meditation program. 1 Those receiving meditation were observed to have a mean reduction in systolic BP (SBP) of 2.0 mm Hg compared to a 0.4 mm Hg rise for controls that was not statistically significant (P = 0.15). In a subset at higher risk for hypertension, there was a statistically significant difference in mean change of 6.3 mm Hg between the groups (P = 0.014).…”

Formative evaluation on cultural tailoring breathing awareness meditation smartphone apps to reduce stress and blood pressure

“…BAM research also has lacked efficacious objective measure of adherence to BAM practice sessions outside of the classroom or clinic, effecting the true reported dosage conditions (17,(24)(25)(26). The actual amount of BAM dosage is unknown in many studies and may partially contribute to the substantial heterogeneity in individuals' BP changes observed within and across trials.…”

Treatment of fibromyalgia at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Norway II—a 24-month follow-up pilot study

“…Other studies of large groups of TM practitioners suggest decreased usage of medical services [9,10]. Randomised, controlled studies on TM have shown statistically significant reductions in depression compared with control groups [11][12][13][14][15][16]. One meta-analysis showed a reduction in trait anxiety and another showed an increase in self-actualisation with effects significantly larger for TM than that for other relaxation and Table 3 Outcome measures before 3-6 days of treatment at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre, Norway, and after 24 months follow-up in a group learning and practicing TM and in a control group not learning or practicing TM *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p< 0.005 (Mann-Whitney U test, TM group compared with the non-TM control group) A very good, B good, C bad meditation programs [17,18].…”