What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the short-term efficacy and feasibility of Transcendental Meditation and progressive muscle relaxation for controlling hypertension in older African Americans across sex and cardiovascular risk subgroups.

August 1, 1996Hypertension

Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans

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Why the study?

Do stress-reduction approaches (Transcendental Meditation or progressive muscle relaxation) reduce blood pressure in older African Americans with hypertension?

Population

127 African American men and women, aged 55 to 85 years, with diastolic pressure of 90 to 104 mm Hg and…

Comparison

Transcendental Meditation technique or… vs Life-style modification education control

Design

RCT, randomized, single-blind

Follow-up

3 months

Authors

CACharles N. AlexanderHarvard University RSRobert H. SchneiderMaharishi International University FSFrank StaggersWest Health

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Supports incorporating Transcendental Meditation into hypertension care for older African Americans; extends randomized evidence for stress-reduction interventions.

Key Points

To evaluate the short-term efficacy and feasibility of Transcendental Meditation and progressive muscle relaxation for controlling hypertension in older African Americans across sex and cardiovascular risk subgroups.
Subgroup analysis of a 3-month, randomized, controlled, single-blind trial conducted at an inner-city primary care health center.
Included 127 African American men and women aged 55 to 85 years with diastolic blood pressure of 90 to 104 mm Hg and systolic blood pressure ≤ 179 mm Hg (16 did not complete follow-up).
Assigned participants to Transcendental Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or a lifestyle modification education control group.
Compared with lifestyle education controls, Transcendental Meditation significantly lowered adjusted blood pressure in women (systolic: -10.4 mm Hg, P < 0.01; diastolic: -5.9 mm Hg, P < 0.01) and men (systolic: -12.7 mm Hg, P < 0.01; diastolic: -8.1 mm Hg, P < 0.001).
Progressive muscle relaxation did not significantly reduce blood pressure in women compared with controls, and reduced only diastolic pressure in men (-6.2 mm Hg, P < 0.01).
Transcendental Meditation consistently produced significant systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions across both high- and low-risk subgroups for psychosocial stress and five other hypertension risk factors.

Structured PICO

Do stress-reduction approaches (Transcendental Meditation or progressive muscle relaxation) reduce blood pressure in older African Americans with hypertension?

Population

127 African American men and women, aged 55 to 85 years, with diastolic pressure of 90 to 104 mm Hg and systolic pressure ≤179 mm Hg.

Intervention

Transcendental Meditation technique or progressive muscle relaxation

Comparator

Life-style modification education control

Outcome

Change in systolic and diastolic blood pressures from baseline to 3-month follow-upsurrogate

Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older African Americans with hypertension across various risk subgroups.

Cite This Study

Alexander et al. (1996) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1c851aecffbcc5fca17205 https://doi.org/10.1161/01.hyp.28.2.228

Topics

Hypertension management

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Implication

Supports incorporating Transcendental Meditation into hypertension care for older African Americans; extends randomized evidence for stress-reduction interventions.

Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Topics

Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

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Topics

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