Clinical and pre-clinical applications of the Transcendental Meditation Program® in the prevention and treatment of essential hypertension and cardiovascular disease in youth and adults

Acute and chronic environmental and psychosocial stress contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Stress reduction via Transcendental Meditation (TM)® has been shown to lower blood pressure (BP) levels and reduce CVD risk in adults and adolescents. This article reviews recent findings indicating a beneficial BP-lowering impact of TM in hypertensive adults at rest and in pre-hypertensive adolescents at rest, during acute laboratory stress and during normal daily activity. These findings have important implications for inclusion of TM in efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases and its clinical consequences.