Learning to relax and reach a state of meditation can be hard to do. However, new research from the American Heart Association shows that it's worth the effort. In a recent study, African Americans with coronary heart disease who practiced Transcendental Meditation regularly, were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from all causes compared with African Americans who attended health education classes and did not meditate.

In this study, researchers randomly assigned 201 individuals (average age of 59) to participate in either a Transcendental Meditation stress-reducing program or a health education class about lifestyle modification for diet and exercise. Participants were followed for over five years.

Individuals in the meditation group sat with eyes closed for about 20 minutes twice a day practicing the technique, allowing their minds and bodies to rest deeply  while remaining alert. Participants in the health education group were advised, under the instruction of professional health educators, to spend at least 20 minutes a day at home practicing heart-healthy behaviors such as exercise, healthy meal preparation and nonspecific relaxation.

The participants were evaluated at the start of the study, at three months and every six months thereafter for body mass index, diet, program adherence, blood pressure and cardiovascular hospitalizations. Throughout the study, the researchers found that regular meditation was correlated with reduced death, heart attack and stroke. Over the course of the study there were 52 incidents, which included death, heart attack or stroke. Of these, 20 events occurred in the meditation group and 32 in the health education group. Those practicing meditation also lowered their blood pressure and reported less stress and anger.

Bottom Line: The researchers hypothesize that meditation serves in essence as a drug; it heals by offering the body a chance to repair itself from the stresses we encounter daily.

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