title: Blood pressure response to transcendental meditation: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior clinical trials suggest that the Transcendental Meditation technique may decrease blood pressure of normotensive and hypertensive individuals but study-quality issues have been raised. This study was designed to assess effects of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure using objective quality assessments and meta-analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed and Cochrane databases through December 2006 and collected publications on Transcendental Meditation were searched. Randomized, controlled trials comparing blood pressure responses to the Transcendental Meditation technique with a control group were evaluated. Primary outcome measures were changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after practicing Transcendental Meditation or following control procedures. A specific rating system (0-20 points) was used to evaluate studies and random-effects models were used for meta-analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine randomized, controlled trials met eligibility criteria. Study-quality scores ranged from low (score, 7) to high (16) with three studies of high quality (15 or 16) and three of acceptable quality (11 or 12). The random-effects meta-analysis model for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, indicated that Transcendental Meditation, compared to control, was associated with the following changes: -4.7 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI), -7.4 to -1.9 mm Hg) and -3.2 mm Hg (95% CI, -5.4 to -1.3 mm Hg). Subgroup analyses of hypertensive groups and high-quality studies showed similar reductions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The regular practice of Transcendental Meditation may have the potential to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by approximately 4.7 and 3.2 mm Hg, respectively. These are clinically meaningful changes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. jwandersmd@aol.com
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Chunxu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kryscio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome