Obesity Reviews article highlights transcendental meditation’s role in cardiometabolic health
A new systematic review, published in our journal Obesity Reviews, highlights the promising role of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.
This comprehensive review synthesises evidence from multiple studies, providing new insights into how this ancient practice can positively impact cardiometabolic health.
Key Findings
The review analysed 45 papers that explored the effects of TM on various cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases. The main findings are:
- Blood pressure reduction: The most consistent evidence supports TM's effectiveness in reducing blood pressure (BP). The review found significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic BP among practitioners of TM.
- Insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia: Some studies indicated that TM could improve insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia. However, the evidence in these areas is less robust compared to blood pressure.
- Cardiovascular events: Long-term practice of TM was associated with a reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Notably, one study reported a 30% lower cardiovascular mortality rate among TM practitioners over a follow-up period of 7.6 years.
- Other cardiometabolic outcomes: The review also found that TM might improve exercise tolerance, myocardial blood flow, and reduce carotid intima-media thickness and left ventricular mass. However, these findings are based on limited studies and require further research.
Mechanisms of action
The review delves into the potential mechanisms through which TM exerts its beneficial effects. TM is believed to modulate neurohormonal activity, reducing stress hormones such as cortisol and catecholamines. This stress reduction is thought to improve overall cardiovascular health by enhancing emotional regulation and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
Research Gaps
Despite the promising findings, the review identifies several research gaps. Many studies had high participant drop-out rates, and fewer studies extended beyond blood pressure to assess comprehensive cardiometabolic outcomes. Additionally, most studies were conducted in specific populations, which may limit the generalisability of the results. The review calls for larger phase III multicentre clinical trials with diverse populations and longer follow-up periods to better understand TM's role in cardiometabolic health.
This systematic review underscores TM's potential as a behavioural intervention for improving cardiometabolic health. Given the high global burden of cardiovascular diseases, integrating TM into prevention and treatment strategies could offer a non-pharmacological option to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors. However, more rigorous research is needed to confirm these benefits and understand the mechanisms at play.
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World Obesity publishes four scientific, peer-reviewed journals, each focusing on a different area of obesity research: systematic reviews, pediatrics, clinical treatment, and science and practice.
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