Meditation Fights Heart Disease

Regular meditation can lower the risk of heart disease. This may prove especially helpful for black teenagers who often suffer from high blood pressure, according to research at Georgia Health Sciences University in Atlanta.

In a study of 62 black teens with high blood pressure, those who meditated twice a day for 15 minutes had lower left ventricular masses (enlarged sections of the heart), an indicator of future cardiovascular disease.

“Increased mass of the heart muscle’s left ventricle is caused by the extra workload on the heart with higher blood pressure,” explains researcher Dr. Vernon Barnes. “Some of these teens already had higher measures of left ventricular mass because of their elevated blood pressure, which they are likely to maintain into adulthood.”

During meditation, which Barnes likens to a period of deep rest, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system decreases and the body releases fewer than normal stress hormones.

“As a result, the vasculature relaxes, blood pressure drops and the heart works less,” he notes.

“Transcendental meditation results in a rest for the body that is often deeper than sleep,” Barnes says. “Statistics indicate that one in every 10 black youths have high blood pressure. If practiced over time, the meditation may reduce the risk of these teens developing cardiovascular disease, in addition to other added health benefits.”