Effects of Meditation on Cardiovascular and Muscular Responses in Patients during Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the world's number one cause of death, with exceeding psychosocial stress load being considered a major risk factor. A stress management technique that has repeatedly shown positive effects on the cardiovascular system is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. The present pilot study aimed to investigate the potential effect of TM on the recovery of cardiac patients.

Objectives: We hypothesized that practicing TM in patients undergoing a 4-week cardiac rehabilitation program augments the recovery of cardiovascular parameters and reduces skeletal muscle tone after rehabilitation.

Methods: Twenty cardiac patients were recruited and randomly assigned to either the control or the TM group. Cardiovascular parameters were assessed with the Task Force Monitor (TFM) and skeletal muscle contractile properties by Tensiomyography during a sit-stand test, performed at the beginning and end of a 4-week in-patient rehabilitation program.

Results: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly lower after 4 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation, while the RR-interval (RRI) significantly increased. At the skeletal muscle level, the contraction time and maximal displacement increased, though only in the gastrocnemius medialis and biceps femoris muscles and not in vastus lateralis. Group interactions were not observed for hemodynamic parameters nor for muscle contractile properties.

Discussion: Although significant improvements in hemodynamic and muscular parameters were observed after 4 weeks of rehabilitation, we could not provide evidence that TM improved rehabilitation after 4 weeks. TM may unfold its effects on the cardiovascular system in the longer term. Hence, future studies should comprise a long-term follow-up.

Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation; cardiovascular diseases; psychosocial stress; tensiomyography; transcendental meditation.

Figure 1

Schematic illustration of the “epochs” used for data generation by the TFM (Brix et al. [34]).

Figure 2

The cardiac parameters RR interval and SBP with significant changes between pre- and post-measurement.

Figure 3

Pearson correlation (with linear regression line) between relative changes in gastrocnemius medialis (GM) amplitude and systolic blood pressure at post-rehabilitation when compared to baseline. Note: two cases missing due to poor data quality.