title: Effect of meditation on endothelial function in Black Americans with metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychological stress may play a role in metabolic syndrome. A consequence of metabolic syndrome is endothelial dysfunction, which is also influenced by psychological stress. We sought to compare the effect of consciously resting meditation (CRM), a sound based meditation, with a control intervention of health education (HE) on endothelial function in the setting of metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight black Americans with metabolic syndrome risk factors (age, 30-65 years) were randomized to either CRM (n = 33) or HE (n = 35); interventions were matched for frequency and duration of sessions and lasted 12 months. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Arterial elasticity, metabolic risk factors, and psychosocial and behavioral variables were secondary end points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although flow-mediated dilation improved in the CRM group for 12 months, this increase was not significantly higher than that in the HE group (p = .51 for the interaction between group and time). Non-endothelium-dependent dilation and arterial elasticity did not change in either group. Most metabolic syndrome risk factors showed beneficial trends in the CRM group only. A risk factor score counting the number of metabolic syndrome components decreased in the CRM group only (p = .049 for the interaction between treatment group and time).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among black Americans with metabolic syndrome risk factors, CRM, did not improve endothelial function significantly more than a control intervention of HE. CRM resulted in favorable trends in metabolic syndrome risk factors, which were examined as secondary outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. viola.vaccarino@emory.edu
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaccarino
authors.forename: Kofi A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kondwani
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Nancy V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Murrah
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Yuan X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Gary H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: W Craig
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Staercke
authors.forename: Arshed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Quyyumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Endothelium; metabolic syndrome; obesity; stress