Over in the U.S, claims are being made that meditation can actively help to prevent heart disease, one of the most increasingly common conditions in the U.S and the rest of the world. The claims are being made that meditative practices should be adopted alongside necessary lifestyle changes and any medication currently taken.
However, how true are these claims?
The American Heart Association (AHA) initially posted on their guidelines that there wasn’t enough information on meditation for them to advise it as an active treatment towards anything medical, especially related to the heart.
However, the research review that the AHA has conducted has seen an update in these guidelines and state that meditation may have some positive benefits, and that’s not just talking about reducing stress.
According to Dr Glenn Levine, the head of the AHA task force stated;
“Meditation can be considered as an adjunctive lifestyle intervention in those interested in this practice.”
He continued by saying that;
“We do not believe meditation should be undertaken as a substitute for well-established and recommend lifestyle and medicinal interventions.”
During this latest release from the AHA, the release focuses on sitting meditation, not so much yoga or tai-chi. However, a variety of meditative types were included such as Samatha, Vipassana, Mindfulness and Zen meditation.
The AHA made this release due to the fact that meditation has now been proven so many times with enough substantial evidence that it actively reduces stress, anxiety as well as depression.
It can also help to improve sleep and the individual’s overall well-being. This is all related to heart disease, and so meditation can reduce this.
All in all, this can help to reduce blood pressure. However, there isn’t enough evidence to support how much it can reduce this per individual.
It’s highly recommended that you start meditation and try and get into the habit of doing it every day. Meditation is generally regarded as safe and low-risk which is why the AHA has recommended this as part of their guidelines.
There is a tonne of resources online that can get you started, as well as on this blog. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can practice anytime, anywhere. This allows you to better yourself, anytime of the day or week.