Mindfulness Training May Lower Blood Pressure

Mindfulness training may lower blood pressure

Long believed to be a calming activity, a new study provides evidence of the benefits of mindfulness in reducing high blood pressure

ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point News / Online - 30th December, 2019) Long believed to be a calming activity, a new study provides evidence of the benefits of mindfulness in reducing high blood pressure.Share on PinterestA recent study uses mindfulness to address hypertension.There is anecdotal evidence that meditation and mindfulness training may be able to reduce high blood pressure and hypertension. However, clinical confirmation of these claims has been scarce until last month, when researchers published a new study in the journal PLOS One.

The authors report the results of a Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP) program specifically designed to "evaluate acceptability, feasibility, and effects on hypothesized proximal self-regulation mechanisms."Participants who enrolled in the MB-BP program experienced significant reductions in blood pressure levels that were still in effect at follow-up examinations 1 year after the trial.Hypertension is a significant risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States and globally.

However, doctors can find hypertension challenging to treat."We know enough about hypertension that we can theoretically control it in everybody yet in about half of all people diagnosed, it is still out of control," according to lead author Eric Loucks, associate professor of epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, and medicine at Brown University in Providence, RI.The blood pressure challenge and MB-BPWhen doctors diagnose someone with high blood pressure, they typically recommend more healthful eating, which includes reducing salt intake, as well as regular exercise and weight loss.

However, some people may find such permanent lifestyle changes difficult to maintain. Doctors might also prescribe medication to help control blood pressure.In some people, hypertension has a genetic component, and lifestyle changes do not bring blood pressure down into the normal range.Stay in the know. Get our free daily newsletterExpect in-depth, science-backed toplines of our best stories every day. Tap in and keep your curiosity satisfied.