Founded by MaharishiMahesh Yogi
Founded by MaharishiTranscendental Meditation® may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure which, according to a recent study, cost the Australian economy more than $1 billion per year.
There are more than 700 research studies substantiating the effects of Transcendental Meditation® (TM) to reduce the risk factors related to heart disease and high blood pressure.
During TM, the mind effortlessly settles inward to a quiet state of restful alertness. In this meditative state, the brain functions more coherently while the body experiences profoundly deep rest which helps dissolve accumulated stresses and fatigue.
There are three areas in which Transcendental Meditation technique has been proven to reduce major risk factors for heart disease:
Australian Research
According to a new study by the George Institute for Global Health, high blood pressure, or hypertension, cost patients and taxpayers about $1.2 billion last year.
The country’s leading independent health institute research, which used public data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Medicare Benefits Schedule, general practice reports and pharmacies, also found the condition cost Australians $12.2 billion between 2012 and 2022, according to a story published at the ABC.
Scientists said patients incurred $503 million in out-of-pocket costs for general practice consultations and medications, while $611 million went toward pharmacy-related costs and fees.
Anthony Rodgers, who worked on the study, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that Australia was in the grip of a hypertension crisis.
“There is a trend upwards in the number of Australians with high blood pressure, which would be impacted by factors such as our over-reliance on packaged foods that often contain too much salt,” he told the ABC.
“But basically, it has been a major issue for a long time and it isn’t getting better,” he said.
“With its role in heart attack and stroke well understood, it’s important to try and get it more controlled than we have done, as well as put efforts into prevention, of course.
“But a very large number of people in Australia have hypertension that is untreated or undertreated.”
Good news
A meta-analysis conducted to examine the effects of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure showed TM had a ‘clinically meaningful’ impact on patients’ blood pressure.
The study concluded that regular practice of TM was essential to experience the benefits of the technique.
“Regular practice of Transcendental Meditation may have the potential to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by approximately 4.7-mm and 3.2-mm Hg, respectively,” the study said.
“These are clinically meaningful changes.”
The TM technique also curbs smoking and substance abuse, reducing these additional common risk factors for heart disease.
The National Institutes of Health in the US has funded more than $26 million in research on the Transcendental Meditation technique for the prevention of heart disease.
More good news
A new 2024 Australian research study showed that long-term practice of Transcendental Meditation® can help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes by about 50 percent in people with heart disease.
The finding of the systematic review, conducted at a top Australian University, of all the published studies on the TM technique and cardiometabolic disease internationally has been published in a top medical journal, World Obesity.
Distinguished Prof from RMIT University and Monash University, Barbora de Courten, and her PhD student, Mahesh Khanal, from RMIT University analysed the findings of 45 studies on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and other related diseases.
Professor Barbora de Courten said Transcendental Meditation, which is a widely used technique, had been shown to improve resilience to stress and enhance heart health.
“Psychological distress has a profound effect on people with these diseases and the associated risk factors,” Prof. de Courten said.
“We found compelling evidence that this meditation technique effectively lowers blood pressure, reduces insulin resistance – thereby decreasing the risk of diabetes – and lowers cholesterol levels, among numerous other health benefits.”
