Investigators from the Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health & Leisure in Porto, Portugal conducted a study to analyze the association between blood pressure and (1) body mass index (BMI), (2) degree of physical activity and (3) cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) in young people.

The study included 66 boys and 97 girls (average age around 14). Measures were taken of blood pressure and cardio-respiratory fitness during the school day, and accelerometers were used to determine degree of physical activity, both during and away from school.

Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi examined the short-term impact of a brief yoga intervention on some of the biochemical risk indicators for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.

Ninety-eight subjects (67 male, 31 female), ages 20-74, with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and a variety of other illnesses, participated in a lifestyle training program that consisted of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), relaxation techniques, group support, individualized advice, lectures and films on the philosophy of yoga and the place of yoga in daily life, meditation, stress management, nutrition, and knowledge about their disease.

Question:

I have a daughter who was sexually abused by her brother when she was 6. She is 24 now and several years ago she finally remembered some of the horrible events. She is anorexic due to the abuse. She refuses to go to therapy because she doesn't want to tell her story. Any CD that can help these issues or help her to get to a therapist?

Maddie

Investigators from the Division of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles evaluated the efficacy of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on components of Metabolic Syndrome and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).They conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 16 weeks duration on a total of 103 subjects with stable CHD, testing the impact of TM vs. health education.

Main outcome measures included blood pressure, lipoprotein profile, and insulin resistance; endothelial function as measured by brachial artery reactivity testing; and cardiac autonomic system activity, as measured by heart rate variability

Researchers from the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University in Iowa reviewed previous meta-analyses of studies investigating the connection between stress reduction and high blood pressure and found them either outdated or methodologically limited. As a result they conducted an updated systematic review of the published literature and identified 107 studies on stress reduction and BP. 

Since you have Successful Surgery, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to do something on the order of fear of medical procedures?  Specifically, for when getting your blood pressure checked. A good 30% of people, I've read, suffer from White Coat Hypertension.  It's something subconscious that we have no control over that beckons the fight or flight response in a doctor's office but is fine at home. This is a very worrisome condition causing many doctors to convince their patients they actually do have high blood pressure and give them dangerous unnecessary medications.  I can find nowhere on the web that offers this title.  It would be a valuable service and I know I would buy it.

Thank you for reading this.

Lana

Transcendental Meditation Reduces Blood Pressure - Systolic and Diastolic

Researchers from the University of Kentucky examined nine randomized, clinical trials comparing TM with a control condition.

Researchers from the Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, performed a meta-analysis on studies assessing the effects of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure.

Randomized, controlled trials comparing blood pressure responses to the TM 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.

Nine randomized, controlled trials met eligibility criteria. The random-effects meta-analysis model for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, indicated that Transcendental Meditation, compared to control, was associated with reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by approximately 4.7 and 3.2 mm Hg, respectively. These are clinically meaningful changes.

Citation: Anderson JW, Liu C, Kryscio RJ. Blood pressure response to transcendental meditation: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Hypertension. 2008 Mar; 21 (3): pages 310-6. Epub 2008 Jan 31. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it