Stress is ubiquitous in modern society and generally acknowledged as a negative factor for mental and physical health. Meditation has been recommended as a way of coping with stress.
Meditation against Stress:
A recent meta-analysis of 47 randomized controlled trials evaluated how well meditation programs work against stress. The studies included more than 3,500 participants. Mindfulness meditation programs were moderately successful at reducing anxiety, depression and pain. There was a small effect on stress and mental health related quality of life.
Although meditation programs were not better than drugs or exercise, the researchers suggest that clinicians should talk with their patients about the role that a meditation program could play in addressing psychological stress.
[JAMA Internal Medicine, March, 2014]
Previous research has suggested that meditation and stress management can help slow cellular markers of aging.
Meditation Reduces Heart Attack Risk:
Researchers reported in 2009 at the American Heart Association Annual Meeting that transcendental meditation (TM) reduces the rate of heart attacks, strokes and death from cardiovascular causes. That may be due to its blood-pressure lowering effect. The research was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
