Transcendental Meditation reduces high blood pressure as effectively as drugs — but without harmful side effects

London, 18th April 1996

High blood pressure, a major cause of ill-health and death, can easily be reduced by Transcendental Meditation, new research has shown.

In a study of 127 over-50's in California, Transcendental Meditation (TM) produced blood pressure reductions equal to those commonly found with medication, but without any of the negative side-effects — such as nausea, dizziness, tiredness, impotence, headache, depression, and cold hands and feet — which are associated with drug therapy.

The study showed that Transcendental Meditation was seven times more effective at lowering blood pressure than a 'usual-care' programme consisting of advice on weight-loss, salt-restriction, exercise,and reduced alcohol intake.

Dr Argyle, Consultant Psychiatrist at Northwick Park Hospital and President of the British Association for the Medical Application of Transcendental Meditation, said, 'Hypertension is a common problem with a high morbidity and is a major factor in both heart disease and strokes. But anti-hypertensive drugs are often not acceptable to patients because of adverse side-effects.

'This new research shows that Transcendental Meditation has an important role to play in the treatment of hypertension, and I urge the Secretary of State to ensure that information about this study is circulated to all those concerned'.

The US Government's National Institute of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.4 million for a follow-up study.

Information about where to leam Transcendental Meditation in the UK can be obtained from

0990-143733.

Further information and copies of the original paper:

Jonathan Hinde — TM Press Office: 0171-402 3787

Press Officer: Jonathan Hinde, 25 Praed Street, London W2

About this research study

• The three-month study took place at the West Oakland Health Center in Oakland, California. 127 black subjects between the ages of 55 and 85 were randomly assigned to three groups: Transcendental Meditation (TM), Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), and a lifestyle modification programme (advice on diet and lifestyle).
  
  
• Both TM and PMR groups reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly, compared with the controls. Transcendental Meditation was found to be twice as effective as Progressive Muscle Relaxation. The TM group produced an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 10.7 points compared with controls, as against 4.7 points for PMK.
  
  
• The study was a collaboration between Frank Staggers, M.D., medical director of the Drug Detoxification Rehabilitation and Aftercare Center at the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics in San Francisco; Bill Sheppard, Ph.D., Director of the West Oakland Health Center's Stress and Hypertension Research Clinic; Robert Schneider, MD, Director of the Center of Health and Aging Studies at Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.), Fairfield, Iowa; Charles Alexander, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, M.U.M.

Hypertension is an official peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Reference:

Schneider RH, Staggers F, Alexander C, Sheppard W, Rainforth M, Kondwani K Smith S, King CG. A randomised controlled trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans. Hypertension, 1995:26: 820-827.

About high blood pressure

Hypertension is the main risk factor for stroke, and a major factor in coronary heart disease (CHD) — two of the three major contributors to death and ill health in the UK.

12% of all men and 11'% of all women in the UK have hypertension but are not being treated for the condition. A further 8% of men and 9% of women are currently being treated for raised blood pressure {Social Trends 1995 Edition).

Experts accept that approximately half the hypertensive population is undetected, half of those detected are untreated, and in half of those treated, hypertension is not controlled (The Stroke Association).

Risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is directly related to blood pressure levels and there is now good evidence that for each 5 mmHg reduction in diastolic pressure the risk is reduced by c. 16%.

Every year 100,000 people in the UK will have a first stroke. The cost to the NHS alone is £1.6 billion. Stroke is the largest cause of severe disability in the UK with 350,000 people affected at any one time.

The Stroke Association recently interviewed 300 patients to find out why they stopped taking medicines for high blood pressure. 84% said it was because of negative side-effects.

Conventional drug therapy for hypertension and coronary heart disease is associated with adverse side-effects, impaired quality of life, low compliance, and high cost.

About NHS Spending on CHD

• At the instigation of the founding of the NHS, in a 1942 White Paper, Lord Beveridge wrote: 'Can we create a situation in which the medical, nursing and social work professionals will be engaged mainly in promoting positive health, rather than at present, being constrained to deal with a demand for services over which they appear to have no control, and can only contain by some arbitrary method of rationing?'
  
  
• According to a 1994 Audit Commission report on spending in the NHS on Coronary Heart Disease:
  • Health promotion took up just 1% of, the annual NHS budget (as against hospital inpatient expenditure 40%, medicines and dispensing 35%, GP costs 10%, community and ambulance 9%, and outpatient costs 5%)
    
    
  • 'District health authority outlays on Health Promotion Units constitute a very small part of their J commissioning budgets ~ approximately 0,2-0.3 per cent of their total budgets in 1994 (Audit Commission Study Site Data).'
    
    
  • 'At worst this means that the commissioning of primary prevention services is a relatively neglected and low-status activity, despite lip service being paid to it in public by senior health authority staff.'
    
    
  • Prices for coronary artery bypass operations from five sites in 1994 showed that these varied from £2,250 to £8,008, with the average being about £5,200.

Medical evidence supports Transcendental Meditation

More than 500 scientific research papers have been written on Transcendental Meditation in the past 21 years. These studies, which were authored by more than 360 researchers from over 200 universities and institutes in 27 countries, have appeared in more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

A study (published in Psychosomatic. Medicine) of 2000 meditators over a five year period showed that they had consistently fewer than half the number of doctor visits and days in hospital than controls. Specifically, the TM group needed less medical and surgical treatment in all 17 disease categories studied, including: 87% fewer hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease, 55% fewer for tumours, 73% fewer for nose, throat and lung problems, and 87% fewer for disorders of the nervous system.

A 1996 study on people practising Transcendental Meditation in Canada found that inflation adjusted medical expenditure decreased by 5 to 7 per cent per year cumulatively over a follow-up period of up to seven years.

Research and clinical experience shows that the benefits of Transcendental Meditation include improvements in the following conditions: anxiety, mild depression, insomnia, tension headaches, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, tranquillizer and hypnotic addiction, and other conditions where stress is a contributory factor.

Transcendental Meditation reduces all major risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and cigarette smoking) as well as enhancing potential protective factors such as job satisfaction.

Transcendental Meditation has been shown to reduce the use of alcohol, and dependence on both prescribed and non-prescribed drugs, to enhance recovery from stress, and improve many aspects of mental health.

As a result of the striking health benefits of Transcendental Meditation a major health insurance company in Holland now offers substantial reductions in health insurance premiums to people who practise Transcendental Meditation regularly.

Transcendental Meditation and the NHS

In April 1.993 a group of 136 doctors wrote to the Secretary of State for Health calling for Transcendental Meditation to be actively promoted on the NHS, in order to improve the health of the nation and save costs in health care.

About 40 people in Great Britain have now learned Transcendental Meditation with the course fees paid by the NHS. Successful funding applications are, however, by no means automatic.

When people learn Transcendental Meditation, it is recommended that they consult their doctor before reducing any prescribed medical treatment.

What is Transcendental Meditation?

Transcendental Meditation is a simple natural technique which is practised for 15-20 minutes twice each day sitting comfortably in a chair with the eyes closed. During this time mind and body gain a unique state of deep rest, allowing for the release of stress.

Transcendental Meditation is practised by people of all ages, religions, professions, and cultural backgrounds — business people, educators, athletes, housewives, students, medical doctors, retired people, etc. This is because Transcendental Meditation is a universal technique that is enriching to everyone. Transcendental Meditation is not a religion, a philosophy, a lifestyle or a set of beliefs — Transcendental Meditation is easy to learn and practise. The course consists of four one-and-a-half hour sessions held on consecutive days, and includes an optional, but recommended, three-month follow-up. The all-inclusive course fee is £490 (students £290). There are over 60 teaching Centres in Britain.

Transcendental Meditation was founded in 1957 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and since that time over 170,000 people have learned in Great Britain and over 4 million worldwide.

Further information:

National enquiries and details of local TM Centres: 0990-143733