Why the study?
Hypertension is a major preventable cardiovascular risk factor, but scientific skepticism has surrounded the legitimacy of meditation as a risk-reduction technique.
Do guided meditations and mindfulness techniques improve blood pressure regulation and cardiac biomarkers?
Do guided meditations and mindfulness techniques improve blood pressure regulation and cardiac biomarkers?
Guided meditation and mindfulness techniques represent promising non-pharmacological adjuncts for blood pressure management and cardiovascular risk reduction.
Mindfulness may aid BP management as adjunct; leaves open need for definitive trials before practice change.
Hypertension is a significant preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality globally, affecting 31.1% of the adult population in 2010. The prevalence of hypertension is rising due to aging and lifestyle factors such as poor diets and insufficient physical activity. Conventional therapy modalities often encompass physical or pharmacological measures; nevertheless, the mental practice of meditation has been employed for centuries to reduce cardiovascular risk. However, the scientific revitalization of this technique has previously prompted doubts over its legitimacy. This paper examines the effects of guided meditations and mindfulness techniques on blood pressure regulation and their potential to enhance cardiac biomarkers, including heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and inflammatory markers, through a review of existing literature and empirical studies. The findings suggest that mindfulness and guided meditation may serve as promising, non-pharmacological complements to traditional hypertension and cardiovascular disease treatments, though further research is needed to strengthen these conclusions.
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Gururamalingam et al. (2025) studied this question.
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