Insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not Transcendental Meditation decreases blood pressure: results of a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

@article{Canter2004InsufficientET,
  title={Insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not Transcendental Meditation decreases blood pressure: results of a systematic review of randomized clinical trials},
  author={Peter H. Canter and Edzard Ernst},
  journal={Journal of Hypertension},
  year={2004},
  volume={22},
  pages={2049-2054}
}
Objective To carry out an independent, systematic review of randomized clinical trials of Transcendental Meditation (TM) for cumulative effects on blood pressure. Method Searches were made of electronic databases and the collected papers and official web sites of the TM organization. We included only randomized clinical trials, without confounding co-interventions, which measured the cumulative effects of TM on blood pressure. Results Six trials met the inclusion criteria but one, reported only… 
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Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
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Citation Type

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Stress reduction and blood pressure control in hypertension: a role for transcendental meditation?
TLDR
All the randomized clinical trials of TM for the control of blood pressure published to date have important methodological weaknesses and are potentially biased by the affiliation of authors to the TM organization.
Investigating the effect of transcendental meditation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
TLDR
Results from subgroup analysis suggested that TM had a greater effect on systolic BP among older participants, those with higher initial BP levels, and women, respectively, and in terms of diastolic BP it appears that TM might be more efficient in a short-term intervention and with individuals experiencing higher BP levels.
Blood pressure response to transcendental meditation: a meta-analysis.
TLDR
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, which are clinically meaningful changes.
Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Systematic review of the efficacy of meditation techniques as treatments for medical illness.
TLDR
Clear and reproducible evidence supporting efficacy from large, methodologically sound studies is lacking, but benefit was demonstrated for mood and anxiety disorders, autoimmune illness, and emotional disturbance in neoplastic disease.
Blood Pressure Response to Meditation and Yoga: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
TLDR
Given that BP decreased with the use of meditation and yoga, and this effect varied in different age groups, scientifically measured outcomes indicate that these practices are safe alternatives in some cases.
Clinical effectiveness of stress-reduction techniques in patients with hypertension: systematic review and meta-analysis
TLDR
The available RCTs on stress-reduction techniques used for at least 24 weeks appeared to indicate a blood pressure-lowering effect in patients with essential hypertension, but this should be interpreted with caution because of major methodological limitations.
Relaxation therapies for the management of primary hypertension in adults: a Cochrane review
TLDR
The evidence in favour of a causal association between relaxation and blood pressure reduction is weak and some of the apparent benefit of relaxation was probably due to aspects of treatment unrelated to relaxation.
Relaxation therapies for the management of primary hypertension in adults.
TLDR
The evidence in favour of causal association between relaxation and blood pressure reduction is weak and some of the apparent benefit of relaxation was probably due to aspects of treatment unrelated to relaxation.
Transcendental meditation for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
TLDR
There are few trials with limited outcomes examining the effectiveness of transcendental meditation for the primary prevention of CVD, and the limited evidence to date could draw no conclusions.
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References

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A Randomized Controlled Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans
TLDR
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.
A randomised controlled trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans.
TLDR
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.
A Meta‐Analysis of the Effects Of Psychoeducational Care in Adults with Hypertension
A meta-analysis of 102 studies was conducted to determine the effects of psychoeducational care on blood pressure (n = 89), knowledge about hypertension (n = 30), medication compliance (n = 23),…
A controlled study of the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on cardiovascular reactivity and ambulatory blood pressure.
TLDR
Since ambulatory BP monitoring has been shown to be a better predictor of cardiovascular complications of hypertension than clinic BP, this finding may have important implications for primary prevention of CVD in normotensive subjects.
Assessing the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials: is blinding necessary?
Impact of Transcendental Meditation on cardiovascular function at rest and during acute stress in adolescents with high normal blood pressure.
Trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans. II. Sex and risk subgroup analysis.
TLDR
Effects of stress reduction on blood pressure were found to generalize to both sexes and diverse risk factor subgroups and were significantly greater in the Transcendental Meditation treatment group.
Impact of transcendental meditation on ambulatory blood pressure in African-American adolescents.
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TLDR
A planned comparison indicated that the "restful alert" TM group improved most, followed by MF, in contrast to relaxation and no-treatment groups, on paired associate learning; 2 measures of cognitive flexibility; mental health; systolic blood pressure; and ratings of behavioral flexibility, aging, and treatment efficacy.
Psychosocial Stress and Cardiovascular Disease Part 2: Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Treatment and Prevention
TLDR
Transcendental Meditation reduces risk factors and can slow or reverse the progression of pathophysiological changes underlying cardiovascular disease, and the magnitudes of these effects compare favorably with those of conventional interventions for secondary prevention.
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