(Stroke. 2000;31:568.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions |
Effects of Stress Reduction on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive African Americans
From the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention (A.C.-R., R.H.S., C.N.A., S.N., M.R., J.S.), Maharishi University of Management, College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine, Fairfield, Iowa; the Department of Radiology (R.C.) and Biobehavioral Research Center (H.M., C.H.), Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, Calif; and the Department of Psychology (H.M.), University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif.
Correspondence to Amparo Castillo-Richmond, MD, Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Maharishi University of Management, College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine, 1000 North 4th St, FB 1134, Fairfield, IA 52557. E-mail amparo{at}mum.edu
Background and Purpose—African Americans suffer disproportionately higher cardiovascular disease mortality rates than do whites. Psychosocial stress influences the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a valid surrogate measure for coronary atherosclerosis, is a predictor of coronary outcomes and stroke, and is associated with psychosocial stress factors. Stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program decreases coronary heart disease risk factors and cardiovascular mortality in African Americans. B-mode ultrasound is useful for the noninvasive evaluation of carotid atherosclerosis.
Methods—This randomized controlled clinical trial evaluated the effects of the TM program on carotid IMT in hypertensive African American men and women, aged >20 years, over a 6- to 9-month period. From the initially enrolled 138 volunteers, 60 subjects completed pretest and posttest carotid IMT data. The assigned interventions were either the TM program or a health education group. By use of B-mode ultrasound, mean maximum IMT from 6 carotid segments was used to determine pretest and posttest IMT values. Regression analysis and ANCOVA were performed.
Results—Age and pretest IMT were found to be predictors of posttest IMT values and were used as covariates. The TM group showed a significant decrease of -0.098 mm (95% CI -0.198 to 0.003 mm) compared with an increase of 0.054 mm (95% CI -0.05 to 0.158 mm) in the control group (P=0.038, 2-tailed).
Conclusions—Stress reduction with the TM program is associated with reduced carotid atherosclerosis compared with health education in hypertensive African Americans. Further research with this stress-reduction technique is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
Key Words: atherosclerosis • blacks • carotid arteries • stress • ultrasonography
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  D. Martarelli, M. Cocchioni, S. Scuri, and P. Pompei Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-induced Oxidative Stress Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., October 29, 2009; (2009) nep169v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.-Y. Liu, C.-C. Wei, and P.-C. Lo Variation Analysis of Sphygmogram to Assess Cardiovascular System under Meditation Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., March 1, 2009; 6(1): 107 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. R. Crouse III Thematic review series: Patient-Oriented Research. Imaging atherosclerosis: state of the art J. Lipid Res., August 1, 2006; 47(8): 1677 - 1699. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. H.K. Vogel, S. F. Bolling, R. B. Costello, E. M. Guarneri, M. W. Krucoff, J. C. Longhurst, B. Olshansky, K. R. Pelletier, C. M. Tracy, R. A. Vogel, et al. Integrating Complementary Medicine Into Cardiovascular Medicine: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents (Writing Committee to Develop an Expert Consensus Document on Complementary and Integrative Medicine) J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., July 5, 2005; 46(1): 184 - 221. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B Wolff, H J Grabe, H Volzke, J Ludemann, C Kessler, J B Dahm, H J Freyberger, U John, and S B Felix Relation between psychological strain and carotid atherosclerosis in a general population Heart, April 1, 2005; 91(4): 460 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. V Bastille and K. M Gill-Body A Yoga-Based Exercise Program for People With Chronic Poststroke Hemiparesis Physical Therapy, January 1, 2004; 84(1): 33 - 48. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. B. Williams, J. C. Barefoot, and N. Schneiderman Psychosocial Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: More Than One Culprit at Work JAMA, October 22, 2003; 290(16): 2190 - 2192. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Schattner The emotional dimension and the biological paradigm of illness: time for a change QJM, September 1, 2003; 96(9): 617 - 621. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. H Canter The therapeutic effects of meditation BMJ, May 15, 2003; 326(7398): 1049 - 1050. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Truelsen, N. Nielsen, G. Boysen, and M. Gronbaek Self-Reported Stress and Risk of Stroke: The Copenhagen City Heart Study Stroke, April 1, 2003; 34(4): 856 - 862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Bierhaus, J. Wolf, M. Andrassy, N. Rohleder, P. M. Humpert, D. Petrov, R. Ferstl, M. von Eynatten, T. Wendt, G. Rudofsky, et al. A mechanism converting psychosocial stress into mononuclear cell activation PNAS, February 18, 2003; 100(4): 1920 - 1925. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. B. Williams and N. Schneiderman Resolved: Psychosocial Interventions Can Improve Clinical Outcomes in Organic Disease (Pro) Psychosom Med, July 1, 2002; 64(4): 552 - 557. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|