Meditation And Heart Health

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity globally, despite significant advances in medical and surgical treatment. While modifiable risk factors (smoking, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes mellitus) can often be controlled through lifestyle changes and medical treatment, mental health also needs to be a key focus in the prevention and management of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).
The heart and brain are in constant exchange; this connection plays a major role in how we experience and respond to stress. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to an acute stress reaction has a direct effect on the cardiovascular system, resulting in an increase in heart rate variability, respiratory frequency, blood pressure, and vasoconstriction of the blood vessels. These physiological changes can lead to long-term strain on the heart, contributing to hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions.
As we continue to explore holistic and integrative approaches to care, meditation has emerged as a promising, non-invasive tool for enhancing heart health since centuries. Meditation is a mind-body practice, a state of concentration and reflection that improves spiritual and emotional well-being, with the goals of achieving a state of inner peace, physical relaxation, and psychological balance. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies suggest that meditation can have long-standing effects on the brain, which may have beneficial consequences for prevention of cardiovascular risk. Additionally, different forms of meditation (e.g., focused attention, mindfulness, loving-kindness and Transcendental meditation) will have different psychological and neurological effects. Most published studies report some improvements in levels of perceived stress, mood, anxiety, depression and quality of sleep. Therefore, integration of mind-body awareness, lifestyle modification, and contemplative practices like meditation offer a comprehensive approach to cardiac health.
The American Heart Association acknowledges that Transcendental Meditation modestly lowers blood pressure and may serve as a helpful adjunct to traditional treatments. There is growing evidence that mindfulness and guided meditation could improve blood pressure regulation and cardiac stress biomarkers, providing a non-pharmacological complement to traditional hypertension and cardiovascular disease treatments. It was reported that not only in hypertensive patients but also in normotensive patients, regular practice of meditation reduces the ambulatory blood pressure levels. Meditation and mindfulness engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which relaxes and regulates the autonomic system, lowering stress and improving emotional regulation. Meditation, especially mindfulness-based training, has been linked to higher abstinence rates in smoking cessation programs. This may be due to better management of cravings and improved self-regulation-critical for reducing cardiovascular risk.
Small studies suggest that meditation improves symptoms in people with irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and enhances quality of life. One important indicator of heart health is heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects the dynamic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system is responsible for increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure, and releasing glucose into the bloodstream to support physical activity. In contrast, the parasympathetic system slows the heart rate and promotes nutrient storage, generally reducing physiological activity.
One study found that heart rate fluctuations decreased during meditation, and the heart rhythm became regular. Conversely, before meditation, heart rate variability and fluctuations were higher. Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) is a unique form of meditation that engages in deep, slow, full breaths and focuses attention on the heart. This form of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve with greater intensity than a normal spontaneous breath, which then reduces the heart rate.
Chronic stress releases glucocorticoids, which promote inflammation and atherosclerosis increasing the risk of CAD. Mindfulness practices have been associated with: Reduced cortisol levels, Decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, Improved insulin resistance and lipid profiles. While percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is employed to relieve symptoms and improve outcomes in CAD patients, psychological factors-particularly patient anxiety have been shown to exacerbate CAD symptoms and potentially diminish the clinical effectiveness of PCI. Randomized controlled trials determined that the addition of psychosocial interventions, including meditation, breathing exercises, and physical relaxation techniques, into standard cardiac rehabilitation regimens improves outcomes among patients with CAD. Studies have shown that mindfulness effectively alleviates anxiety and improve sleep quality pre-PCI, which in turn results in higher PCI success rates, lowered hospitalization times, and reduced postprocedural complications. However, while early data is promising, more research is needed to establish meditation's role in secondary prevention.
In clinical practice, meditation should not replace guideline-directed medical therapy but can be considered a reasonable and empowering adjunct to cardiovascular risk reduction strategies. Encouraging patients to participate in their own wellness-physically, emotionally, and mentally-may improve adherence, outcomes, and overall quality of life.
This World Heart Day:“Don't Miss a Beat”. As we celebrate World Heart Day, let's remember that every heartbeat counts. Empower yourself and others by embracing holistic approaches to support heart health and live a more balanced healthy life.
Cardiovascular disease medical surgical

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