Effects of transcendental meditation on symptoms and electrocardiographic changes in patients with cardiac syndrome X

The American Journal of CardiologyPublished 1 March 2000

Charles H. Cunningham, Sue Brown, Juan Carlos Kaski

DOI10.1016/s0002-9149(99)00828-0

Source URL

Citations61

SJR quartileQ2

SJR score0.93

SNIP0.73

TL;DR

The practice of transcendental meditation, a standard relaxation method twice daily, significantly improved exercise tolerance, angina episodes, and quality of life in 9 women; the positive findings in this study warrant further research.

Abstract

Chest pain with normal coronary angiograms is often associated with chronic sympathetic activation, anxiety, and depression, and is resistant to conventional antianginal treatment. The practice of transcendental meditation, a standard relaxation method for 3 months twice daily, significantly improved exercise tolerance, angina episodes, and quality of life in 9 women; the positive findings in this study warrant further research.

Keywords

PsychologyMedicine

Journal of the American College of CardiologyCardiac syndrome X: Clinical characteristics and left ventricular function

487 Citations1995Juan Carlos Kaski, Peter Collins +4 more

Syndrome X, as defined in this study, occurs predominantly in postmenopausal women and patients usually have chest pain typical for angina, but conventional antianginal treatment is not often successful.

HypertensionA Randomized Controlled Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans

373 Citations1995Robert H. Schneider, Frank Staggers +6 more

Mental and physical stress reduction approaches (Transcendental Meditation and progressive muscle relaxation) were compared with a lifestyle modification education control program and with each other, and linear trend analysis confirmed these patterns.

Journal of Clinical PsychologyDifferential effects of relaxation techniques on trait anxiety: A meta-analysis

316 Citations1989K. Eppley, Allan I. Abrams +1 more

The difference in effect size between treatments was maintained both when only published studies were included and when only the studies with the strongest design were included, and the overall conclusions were unchanged.

Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyTranscendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly.

297 Citations1989Charles N. Alexander, Ellen J. Langer +3 more

The American Journal of CardiologyUsefulness of the transcendental meditation program in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease

133 Citations1996John W. Zamarra, Robert H. Schneider +3 more

Patients with documented coronary artery disease were tested at baseline by exercise tolerance testing, and assigned to either stress reduction using the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program or to a wait-list control, and after 8 months, the TM group had a 14.7% increase in exercise tolerance.

Psychosomatic MedicineSystolic Blood Pressure and Long-Term Practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi Program: Effects of TM on Systolic Blood Pressure

65 Citations1983Keith R. Wallace, Joel Silver +3 more

The findings suggest the beneficial effects of the long‐term practice of the TM and TM‐Sidhi programs on systolic blood pressure, and if self‐selection plays a role, an easily identifiable group already showing traits beneficial to the general population deserves further study.

Journal of Psychosomatic ResearchBeta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity in subjects practicing transcendental meditation

61 Citations1990Paul J. Mills, Robert H. Schneider +3 more

Preliminary findings showing reduced beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity in a group of subjects practicing Transcendental Meditation provide some support for studies postulating that meditation is associated with reduced sympathetic adrenergic receptors sensitivity, and provide encouragement for the efficacy of receptor measurement in psychophysiology research.

Clinical CardiologyAssessment of quality of life in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteriogram (syndrome x) using a specific questionnaire

50 Citations1999Felipe Atienza, José A. Velasco +3 more

Prognosis in patients with syndrome X (chest pain and normal coronary arteriograms) is good; however, persistent chest pain and functional disability are common in these patients.

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New England Journal of MedicineChest Pain with Normal Coronary Angiograms

33 Citations1993Richard O. Cannon

Coronary angiograms are found to be normal in approximately 10 to 20 percent of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization to evaluate angina-like chest pain.

Psychosomatic MedicineThe Transcendental Meditation Technique and Acute Experimental Pain

32 Citations1981Walter W. Mills, John T. Farrow

The mean distress level for the TM group was significantly lower than controls during both trials; the mean pain sensation level forThe TM group did not differ significantly from controls during either trial; and heart rate and skin resistant changed for both groups in the expected manner.