Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Letter
  • Published:

Contemplative meditation reduces ambulatory blood pressure and stress-induced hypertension: a randomized pilot trial

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 138–140 (2008)Cite this article

A total of 52 pharmacologically untreated subjects with essential hypertension were randomly allocated to either 8 weeks of contemplative meditation combined with breathing techniques (CMBT) or no intervention in this observer-blind controlled pilot trial. CMBT induced clinically relevant and consistent decreases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure if measured during office readings, 24-h ambulatory monitoring and mental stress test. Longer-term studies should evaluate CMBT as an antihypertensive strategy.

Emotional and psychological stress is an acknowledged risk factor and mediator of hypertension,1, 2 but it is still unknown whether stress-reducing techniques may effectively control essential hypertension.3, 4, 5 Numerous stress-reducing techniques have been investigated, as physical techniques (for example, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, yoga), cognitive and behavioural therapies (for example, talk therapies, meditation, guided imagery), stress management (for example, autogenic training) and biofeedback.5 Some of these techniques share common features (for example, breathing control) but may exert their effects via different underlying mechanisms. Contemplative meditation as a stress-reducing technique has been widely studied with divergent results. A recent systematic review of randomized clinical trials summarized that, at present, there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not meditation has a cumulative positive effect on blood pressure (BP).3 We therefore aimed to determine in a randomized controlled observer-blind pilot trial the differential effects of contemplative meditation combined with breathing techniques (CMBT) on BP at rest, ambulatory and during mental stress.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

References

  1. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo Jr JL et al. The seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure: the JNC 7 report. J Am Med Assoc 2003; 289: 2560–2572.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. European Society of Hypertension—European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. J Hypertens 2003; 21: 1011–1053.

  3. Canter PH, Ernst E . Insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not transcendental meditation decreases blood pressure: results of a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. J Hypertens 2004; 22: 2049–2054.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Parati G, Steptoe A . Stress reduction and blood pressure control in hypertension: a role for transcendental meditation? J Hypertens 2004; 22: 2057–2060.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dickinson HO, Mason JM, Nicolson DJ, Campbell F, Beyer FR, Cook JV et al. Lifestyle interventions to reduce raised blood pressure: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Hypertens 2006; 24: 215–233.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schein MH, Gavish B, Herz M, Rosner-Kahana D, Naveh P, Knishkowy B et al. Treating hypertension with a device that slows and regularises breathing: a randomised, double-blind controlled study. J Hum Hypertens 2001; 15: 271–278.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Joseph CN, Porta C, Casucci G, Casiraghi N, Maffeis M, Rossi M et al. Slow breathing improves arterial baroreflex sensitivity and decreases blood pressure in essential hypertension. Hypertension 2005; 46: 714–718.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. O'Hara DP . Is there a role for prayer and spirituality in health care? Med Clin North Am 2002; 86: 33–46, vi.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Meisenhelder JB, Chandler EN . Prayer and health outcomes in church members. Altern Ther Health Med 2000; 6: 56–60.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Law MR, Wald NJ, Morris JK, Jordan RE . Value of low dose combination treatment with blood pressure lowering drugs: analysis of 354 randomised trials. BMJ 2003; 326: 1427.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, Peto R, Collins R . Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet 2002; 360: 1903–1913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wachholtz AB, Pargament KI . Is spirituality a critical ingredient of meditation? Comparing the effects of spiritual meditation, secular meditation, and relaxation on spiritual, psychological, cardiac, and pain outcomes. J Behav Med 2005; 28: 369–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J P Manikonda and S Störk: These authors share the authorship of this paper equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine I, Center of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    J P Manikonda, S Störk, S Tögel, A Lobmüller, C E Angermann, R Jahns & W Voelker

  2. Center for Contemplative Meditation, Würzburg, Germany

    I Grünberg

  3. Department of Medicine I, Betriebsärztliche Untersuchungsstelle, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    S Bedel & F Schardt

Authors
  1. J P Manikonda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S Störk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S Tögel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A Lobmüller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. I Grünberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S Bedel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F Schardt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. C E Angermann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. R Jahns
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. W Voelker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S Störk.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Human Hypertension website (http://www.nature.com/jhh)

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manikonda, J., Störk, S., Tögel, S. et al. Contemplative meditation reduces ambulatory blood pressure and stress-induced hypertension: a randomized pilot trial. J Hum Hypertens 22, 138–140 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002275

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002275

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links