Denna studie i samarbete med amerikanska National Institute of Health undersökte dödlighetsmönster under en period på 19 år, efter att vuxna med högt blodtryck antingen lärt sig Transcendental Meditation eller tillämpat ordinerade hälsoåtgärder. Resultatet visade för TM-gruppen 23% minskning av dödligheten oavsett orsak, och 30% minskning av dödlighet för hjärtsjukdomar, jämfört med kontrollgruppen.Ref.American Journal of Cardiology 95: 1060-1064, 2005

This randomised, controlled study on patients with documented cardiovascular diseases found that those randomly assigned to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, had a reduction of 43% of the risk of death, hemorrhage or stroke in the follow up period of 5 to 9 years, in comparison to the control group that took part in the programme for health care education. Later analysis showed that participants that had most regularly practiced TM actually had a 61% reduction in the risk of death, heart attack or stroke in comparison to the controls.Ref.Circulation 120: S461 (Abstract), 2009

Denna meta-analys återfann i publicerad litteratur 107 studier avseende minskning av stress och blodtryck. 17 av dessa studier, innehållande 23 jämförelser av behandlingar på 960 patienter, uppfyllde standardkriterierna för väl utformade, randomiserade, kontrollerade undersökningar, samt innehöll multipla studier för varje kategori av behandling för hypertoniker. Bland dessa studier visade sig endast Transcendental Meditation ha en statistiskt signifikant verkan att sänka högt blodtryck hos hypertensiva patienter. (p = 0,0002).Ref.Current Hypertension Reports 9: 520–528, 2007. För fullständig artikel klicka här

The term ‘cardiac syndrome X’ is used for patients with pain in the chest (angina) and normal coronary angiogramman. Such patients often keep symptoms despite conventional anti angina medication and reassurance by their cardiologist. The pain in the chest that occurs among them often plays up during exercise but also frequently in rest; such symptoms can closely simulate unstable angina and give cause to renewed hospitalisation and new examinations. Through the twice a day practice of Transcendental Meditation for a period of three months, the occurrence of angina episodes significantly decreased, exercise tolerance increased and subjective quality of life among patients with this syndrome improved.Ref.American Journal of Cardiology 85: 653-655, 2000

An important predictor for death caused by heart problems is the left ventricular mass, the thickening of the muscle in the left ventricular of the heart. This thickening can be an anatomic response to hypertension or other cardiovascular problems. This study showed that adolescents with high normal blood pressure that were taught the Transcendental Meditation technique showed a reduction of the left ventricular mass, after 4 months, in comparison to those who were randomly assigned to a control group receiving health education.Ref.Annals of Behavioral Medicine 37(Supplement): S195 (Abstract), 2009

Heart patients that were taught the Transcendental Meditation technique showed increased exercise tolerance in comparison to controls as measured by the increased maximum work burden (graphed here), increased physical exercise time and improvements in other cardiovascular measurements.Ref.The American Journal of Cardiology  77: 867–870, 1996

Patients recently admitted to the hospital with cognitive heart failures, and that were taught Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation technique, after 6 months showed better functional capacity, in comparison to those that were randomly assigned to control groups that received health information. Functional capacity was measured through a six-minute walking test, by measuring how far an individual was able to walk in the time allotted.Ref.Ethnicity & Disease 17: 72–77, 2007

Sänkt systoliskt blodtryck hos patienter med hjärtsjukdom

Denna randomiserade, kontrollerade, kliniska undersökning av personer med stabil hjärtsjukdom visade att 16 veckors utövning av Transcendental Meditation, till skillnad från att delta i ett program med hälsoundervisning, ledde till en betydande sänkning av det systoliska blodtrycket. Högt blodtryck är en av komponenterna i det “metabola syndromet” och hör ofta ihop med fetma, insulinresistens och hyperlipidemi. Detta syndrom är en riskfaktor för kardiovaskulär morbiditet och mortalitet.Ref.Archives of Internal Medicine 166: 1218–1224, 2006

Improved cardiovascular efficiency in military cadets: reduced resting heart rate prior to exercise

Among military cadets that were taught the Transcendental Meditation technique, an increased cardiovascular efficiency and stability was demonstrated prior to physical exercise, as measured by reduced resting heart rate right before a running exercise.Ref.‘Project for introduction of a programme for prevention of stress—Transcendental Meditation’. Centre for Personnel Studies, Department of Teaching and Research, Ministry of the Army, Brazil