Cardiovascular

Improve Stress Responding, Health, and Well-Being with Qigong

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Improve Stress Responding, Health, and Well-Being with Qigong

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Qigong is an extraordinary tool for reducing the harmful effects of stress. The three pillars of qigong practice are body, breath, and mind. If your body is relaxed your breathing will slow down. When your breath is slow, you feel more centered, more calm, and more in touch with yourself” – Kenneth Cohen

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are ancient mindfulness practices involving slow prescribed movements. They are gentle and completely safe, can be used with the elderly and sickly, are inexpensive to administer, can be performed in groups or alone, at home or in a facility or even public park, and can be quickly learned. In addition, they can also be practiced in social groups without professional supervision. This can make it fun, improving the likelihood of long-term engagement in the practice.

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are both mindfulness practices and gentle exercises. They have been shown to be beneficial for the health and well-being of individuals of a variety of ages, but particularly the elderly. They also improve the symptoms of a variety of diseases. One way that these practices may improve health and well-being is by reducing stress. The studies of the benefits for health of Tai Chi and Qigong are accumulating and so it makes sense to take a moment to summarize what has been learned about the benefits of Qigong practice.

 

In today’s Research News article “Individual Stress Prevention through Qigong.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579037/ )  van Dam reviews and summarizes the published research studies of the effects of Qigong practice on stress. She reports that the published studies found that Qigong practice improves the cardiovascular system including a significant reduction in blood pressure and an increase in heartrate variability, an indicator of parasympathetic relaxation. It improves the respiratory system including increased lung capacity, oxygen intake and breathing patterns. It improves immune function and reduces inflammatory responses. It improves both psychological and physiological responses to stress. It improves sleep quality and reduces fatigue. It reduces depression and both acute and chronic anxiety.

 

These findings are remarkable and suggest that this gentle safe practice markedly improves the physical and mental well-being and health of the practitioners. Many of these benefits may result from the ability of Qigong practice to improve stress responding. Stress impairs health and well-being and Qigong practice appears to counteract these effects.

 

So, improve stress responding, health, and well-being with Qigong.

 

“Qi Gong helps you develop a crystal clear mind as you connect with the present moment, letting go of the stress of daily life and relaxing deeply.”- Nick Jankel

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

van Dam K. (2020). Individual Stress Prevention through Qigong. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7342. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197342

 

Abstract

Owing to work intensification and an accelerated pace of life in general, individuals in many Western countries are often overactivated and find it difficult to switch off. However, recovery from physiological and mental activation is critical to prevent stress symptoms and maintain one’s physiological and mental well-being. Extensive research evidence indicates that Qigong, a traditional Chinese movement practice for promoting health, provides an effective means to recover from work and off-work demands. The main objective of this paper is to offer a comprehensive, narrative review of the effects of Qigong and its core components. Attention is first paid to the outcomes of work and off-work demands and stress, and the role of recovery for individuals’ well-being. Then, Qigong and its components are explained, followed by the results of scientific research. Finally, limitations and implications for research and practiced are discussed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579037/

 

Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk by Improving Emotion Regulation with Mindfulness

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Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk by Improving Emotion Regulation with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“People who meditate regularly reported feeling more balanced and less stressed, and . . . improved the outcomes when they were added to cardiac rehabilitation programmes for patients with CHD.” – Heart Matters

 

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer. A myriad of treatments has been developed including a variety of surgical procedures and medications. In addition, lifestyle changes have proved to be effective including quitting smoking, weight reduction, improved diet, physical activity, and reducing stresses. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, 60% of cardiovascular disease patients decline engaging in these lifestyle changes, making these patients at high risk for another attack.

 

Contemplative practices have been shown to be safe and effective alternative treatments for cardiovascular disease. Practices such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga, have been shown to be helpful for heart health and to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. They have also been shown to be effective in maintaining cardiovascular health and the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The means by which mindfulness reduces cardiovascular disease risk have not been explored using the qualitative experiences of the patients.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness and cardiovascular health: Qualitative findings on mechanisms from the mindfulness-based blood pressure reduction (MB-BP) study.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7510988/ ) Nardi and colleagues recruited patients with hypertension who had participated in a study of the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) modified for hypertension, to reduce blood pressure. The participants participated in focus groups or were interviewed individually with semi-structured interviews. The groups and interviews focused on their experiences with the intervention and its effects. Transcripts of the responses were subjected to thematic analysis to identify common themes and ideas.

 

They found that the participants practiced breath awareness and body scans most in their everyday lives. Breath awareness allowed them to pause and relax to better address issues while the body scans made them more aware of their bodily states. These practices produced a greater awareness of the present moment and their responses to emotional situations allowing them to better regulate their emotions in these situations. They learned to apply self-kindness rather than self-criticism and to direct attention to mindfulness when stressful situations came up rather than worrying about them. All of this resulted in the improved ability to deal with their emotions. The participants indicated that they used the emotion regulation abilities to effectively deal with stress, learning to relax in the face of stress. This led to important changes in their health behaviors particularly diet.

 

These qualitative results suggest that the mindfulness program improved the patients’ cardiovascular health. It provided them with tools to employ when emotional situations arose to heighten their awareness of exactly what was transpiring and how they felt in the present moment. This resulted in better regulation of emotions which in turn led to better responses to stress and improved health behaviors.

 

These qualitative results correspond to the results of controlled empirical studies of the effects of mindfulness training on a wide variety of individuals and conditions. These studies found that mindfulness training produced improved emotion regulation, increased self-kindness, improved responses to stress, and improved cardiovascular health.  Hence, mindfulness training provides individuals with skills that improve their lives and well-beeing.

 

So, lower cardiovascular disease risk by improving emotion regulation with mindfulness.

 

“there are four things that have scientifically been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack in patients with mild to moderate coronary artery disease and they include – reduced stress (use meditation to do so), diet, exercise and love.” – Jeena Cho

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are a also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Nardi, W. R., Harrison, A., Saadeh, F. B., Webb, J., Wentz, A. E., & Loucks, E. B. (2020). Mindfulness and cardiovascular health: Qualitative findings on mechanisms from the mindfulness-based blood pressure reduction (MB-BP) study. PloS one, 15(9), e0239533. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239533

 

Abstract

Background

Mindfulness-based programs hold promise for improving cardiovascular health (e.g. physical activity, diet, blood pressure). However, despite theoretical frameworks proposed, no studies have reported qualitative findings on how study participants themselves believe mindfulness-based programs improved their cardiovascular health. With an emphasis on in-depth, open-ended investigation, qualitative methods are well suited to explore the mechanisms underlying health outcomes. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the mechanisms through which the mindfulness-based program, Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP), may influence cardiovascular health.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted as part of a Stage 1 single arm trial with one-year follow-up. The MB-BP curriculum was adapted from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to direct participants’ mindfulness skills towards modifiable determinants of blood pressure. Four focus group discussions were conducted (N = 19 participants), and seven additional participants were selected for in-depth interviews. Data analysis was conducted using the standard approach of thematic analysis. Following double-coding of audio-recorded transcripts, four members of the study team engaged in an iterative process of data analysis and interpretation.

Results

Participants identified self-awareness, attention control, and emotion regulation as key mechanisms that led to improvements in cardiovascular health. Within these broader themes, many participants detailed a process beginning with increased self-awareness to sustain attention and regulate emotions. Many also explained that the specific relationship between self-awareness and emotion regulation enabled them to respond more skillfully to stressors. In a secondary sub-theme, participants suggested that higher self-awareness helped them engage in positive health behaviors (e.g. healthier dietary choices).

Conclusion

Qualitative analyses suggest that MB-BP mindfulness practices allowed participants to engage more effectively in self-regulation skills and behaviors lowering cardiovascular disease risk, which supports recent theory. Results are consistent with quantitative mechanistic findings showing emotion regulation, perceived stress, interoceptive awareness, and attention control are influenced by MB-BP.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7510988/

 

Improve Autonomic Nervous System Function with Yoga

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Improve Autonomic Nervous System Function with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Among its many beneficial effects, yoga has been shown to increase strength, flexibility, and balance; enhance immune function; lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels; and improve psychological well-being.” – Timothy McCall

 

There is an accumulating volume of research findings to demonstrate that Mind-body practices have highly beneficial effects on the health and well-being of humans. These include yoga, tai chi, and qigong, among many others. Because of their proven benefits the application of these practices to relieving human suffering has skyrocketed. Yoga practice has been shown to have a large number of beneficial effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical health of the individual and is helpful in the treatment of mental and physical illness.

 

One way that these Yoga may have their beneficial effects is by providing balance in the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic division underlies activation while the parasympathetic division underlies relaxation. When these divisions are out of balance the individual may be overly stressed or overly sedentary. Appropriate balance is important for health and well-being. A measure of balance is provided by the parasympathetic produced baroreflex. It regulates blood pressure fluctuations.

 

In today’s Research News article “Autonomic Tone and Baroreflex Sensitivity during 70° Head-up Tilt in Yoga Practitioners.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7735502/ ) Anasuya and colleagues recruited adults aged 20-50 who were aged matched and either yoga-naïve or trained experienced yoga practitioners. The participants underwent a 70 degree head up tilt. “Participants lay on the table and the table is tilted from a supine position to an angle of 70° at a speed of ~2.3°/s. Each subject was held at 70° HUT position for 5 min.” They were measured before during and after the tilt for blood pressure, respiration, respiratory carbon dioxide, and electrocardiogram (ECG).

 

They found that at rest the yoga group had significantly lower respiration rate at rest and significantly higher respiratory carbon dioxide at rest and also during the tilt. They also found that during the tilt the yoga practitioners had a significantly larger baroreceptor response, that is decrease in blood pressure, and a significantly larger increase in heart rate variability.

 

Both increases in the baroreceptor sensitivity and heart rate variability are indicative of increased activity on the Vagus nerve producing increased parasympathetic (relaxation) activity and decreased sympathetic (activation) activity in the autonomic nervous system. Hence, yoga practice produces a greater relaxation response in the practitioners at rest and when challenged with a tilt. This suggests that yoga practice alter the autonomic nervous system to produce a larger parasympathetic dominance and thereby greater ability to physiologically relax. In essence this reduces stress responses. Such improvements in the practitioner’s ability to deal with stress may underlie, at least in part, many of the health benefits of yoga practice.

 

So, Improve Autonomic Nervous System Function with Yoga.

 

“Yoga is a practice which helps regulate the nervous system. Yoga trains our mind and body to find a healthy balance within our nervous system, or in other words to help our bodies find homeostasis.’ – Anne Spear

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are a also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Anasuya, B., Deepak, K. K., & Jaryal, A. K. (2020). Autonomic Tone and Baroreflex Sensitivity during 70° Head-up Tilt in Yoga Practitioners. International journal of yoga, 13(3), 200–206. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_29_20

 

Abstract

Introduction:

The intervention of yoga was shown to improve the autonomic conditioning in humans evident from the enhancement of parasympathetic activity and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). From the documented health benefits of yoga, we hypothesized that the experience of yoga may result in adaptation to the orthostatic stress due to enhanced BRS.

Aim:

To decipher the effects of yoga in the modulation of autonomic function during orthostatic challenge.

Materials and Methods:

This was a comparative study design conducted in autonomic function test lab, of the Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability, and BRS were analyzed on forty naïve to yoga (NY) subjects and forty yoga practitioners with an average age of 31.08 ± 7.31 years and 29.93 ± 7.57 years, respectively. All participants were healthy. Seventy degrees head up tilt (HUT) was used as an intervention to evaluate the cardiovascular variability during orthostatic challenge.

Results:

During HUT, the R-R interval (P = 0.042), root mean square of succesive R-R interval differences (RMSSD) (P = 0.039), standard deviation of instantaneous beat-to-beat R-R interval variability (SD1) (P = 0.039) of HRV, and sequence BRS (P = 0.017) and α low frequency of spectral BRS (P = 0.002) were higher in the yoga group. The delta decrease in RRI (P = 0.033) and BRS (P < 0.01) was higher in the yoga group than the NY group.

Conclusion:

The efferent vagal activity and BRS were higher in yoga practitioners. The delta change (decrease) in parasympathetic activity and BRS was higher, with relatively stable systolic blood pressure indicating an adaptive response to orthostatic challenge by the yoga practitioners compared to the NY group.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7735502/

 

Improve Obese Individuals’ Ability to Respond Adaptively to Stressors with Mindfulness

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Improve Obese Individuals’ Ability to Respond Adaptively to Stressors with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“patients with obesity do better at reducing stress with mindfulness exercises.” – Sharon Basaraba

 

Obesity has become an epidemic in the industrialized world. In the U.S. the incidence of obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above has more than doubled over the last 35 years to currently around 35% of the population, while two thirds of the population are considered overweight or obese (BMI > 25). Obesity has been found to shorten life expectancy by eight years and extreme obesity by 14 years. This occurs because obesity is associated with cardiovascular problems such as coronary heart disease and hypertension, stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and others.

 

Obviously, there is a need for effective treatments to obese individuals. But, despite copious research and a myriad of dietary and exercise programs, there still is no safe and effective treatment. Mindfulness is known to be associated with lower risk for obesity, alter eating behavior and improve health in obesity. Stress responses are blunted and variable in obese individuals. Mindfulness training has been shown to improve the individuals physiological and psychological responses to stress. One of the ways that mindfulness may be effective for obese individuals is by improving their adaptive responses to stress.

 

In today’s Research News article “A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Social-Evaluative Threat Among Adults with Obesity.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138245/ ) Daubenmeir and colleagues recruited adults with abdominal obesity (BMI>30) and provided them with a 12-week program of diet and exercise. Half were randomly assigned to also receive mindfulness training similar to the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. In previously reported results, the mindfulness training produced greater improvements in metabolism but non-significant improvements in body weight.

 

In the present study they report the results of studies of the obese participants stress responsivity. They were measured before and after the 12-week diet and exercise training with a social stress test that involved giving a speech and verbally doing math problems while being evaluated by strangers. In addition, cardiovascular factors were measured including the electrocardiogram (EKG), blood pressure and cardiac impedance.

 

They found that in comparison to baseline and the control condition, the mindfulness trained participants reported that the social stress tasks was a significantly greater positive challenge and produced significantly less anxiety. They also found that the mindfulness group had significantly greater cardiac output and significantly lower total peripheral resistance while the control group had a significant increase in total peripheral resistance.

 

These results suggest that mindfulness training increases the obese individual’s ability to adapt psychologically and physiologically to stress. That mindfulness reduces anxiety and improves adaptation to stress has been previously reported using different evaluation techniques and different participant populations. The present study extends these findings by demonstrating that mindfulness has similar benefits for the obese. Since stress reactivity can be a particular problem for the obese, the improved adaptive responses to stress after mindfulness training may be especially helpful for these individuals.

 

So, improve obese individuals’ ability to respond adaptively to stressors with mindfulness.

 

“restricted diets may in fact increase anxiety in obese children. However, practicing mindfulness, as well dieting, may counteract this and promote more efficient weight loss,” – Mardia López-Alarcón

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Daubenmier, J., Epel, E. S., Moran, P. J., Thompson, J., Mason, A. E., Acree, M., Goldman, V., Kristeller, J., Hecht, F. M., & Mendes, W. B. (2019). A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Social-Evaluative Threat Among Adults with Obesity. Mindfulness, 10(12), 2583–2595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01232-5

 

Objective:

Mindfulness-based interventions have been found to reduce psychological and physiological stress reactivity. In obesity, however, stress reactivity is complex, with studies showing both exaggerated and blunted physiological responses to stressors. A nuanced view of stress reactivity is the “challenge and threat” framework, which defines adaptive and maladaptive patterns of psychophysiological stress reactivity. We hypothesized that mindfulness training would facilitate increased challenge-related appraisals, emotions, and cardiovascular reactivity, including sympathetic nervous system activation paired with increased cardiac output (CO) and reduced total peripheral resistance (TPR) compared to a control group, which would exhibit an increased threat pattern of psychophysiological reactivity to repeated stressors.

Methods:

Adults (N=194) with obesity were randomized to a 5.5-month mindfulness-based weight loss intervention or an active control condition with identical diet-exercise guidelines. Participants were assessed at baseline and 4.5 months later using the Trier Social Stress Task. Electrocardiogram, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure were acquired at rest and during the speech and verbal arithmetic tasks to assess pre-ejection period (PEP), CO, and TPR reactivity.

Results:

Mindfulness participants showed significantly greater maintenance of challenge-related emotions and cardiovascular reactivity patterns (higher CO and lower TPR) from pre to post-intervention compared to control participants, but groups did not differ in PEP. Findings were independent of changes in body mass index.

Conclusions:

Mindfulness training may increase the ability to maintain a positive outlook and mount adaptive cardiovascular responses to repeated stressors among persons with obesity though findings need to be replicated in other populations and using other forms of mindfulness interventions.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138245/

 

Improve Cardiac Health in Heart Failure Patients with Meditation

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Improve Cardiac Health in Heart Failure Patients with Meditation

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Not only can meditation improve how your heart functions, but a regular practice can enhance your outlook on life and motivate you to maintain many heart-healthy behaviors, like following a proper diet, getting adequate sleep, and keeping up regular exercise,” – John Denninger

 

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer. A myriad of treatments have been developed for heart disease including a variety of surgical procedures and medications. In addition, lifestyle changes have proved to be effective including quitting smoking, weight reduction, improved diet, physical activity, and reducing stresses. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, 60% of cardiovascular disease patients decline to alter these lifestyle factors, making these patients at high risk for another attack.

 

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major type of cardiovascular disease. “CHF is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. While often referred to simply as “heart failure,” CHF specifically refers to the stage in which fluid builds up around the heart and causes it to pump inefficiently” (Healthline). Heart failure is a very serious life-threatening condition. About 5.7 million adults in the United States have congestive heart failure. One in 9 deaths include heart failure as a contributing cause. The seriousness of heart failure is underscored by the fact that about half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis. Hence, effective treatment is very important.

 

Mindfulness trainings such as meditation practice are known to help with a wide range of physical and psychological problems, including heart failure. So, it would make sense to further investigate the ability of meditation practice to the improve the health and longevity of patients with heart failure.

 

In today’s Research News article “Meditation for Improved Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Implantable Defibrillators for Heart Failure- Pilot Study.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7533122/ ) Aditee and colleagues recruited adult patients with heart failure and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. They were randomly assigned to receive either 6 months of focused meditation or treatment as usual. Breath following meditation was trained in 3 session during the first week and then once every 2 weeks for 6 months. They were encouraged to meditate at home daily. They were measured before and after training and then yearly for 7 years for a 6-minute walk, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, atrial fibrillation, mortality, heart failure hospitalization and ventricular arrhythmias.

 

They found that in comparison to baseline and the treatment as usual group, the meditation group had significantly fewer atrial fibrillations and ventricular tachycardias which remained true 7 years later. Although at the 7-year follow-up 67% in treatment as usual group vs 87.5% in meditation group were still alive, this difference was not statistically significant. Hence, meditation practice appears to improve cardiac function in heart failure patients.

 

This was a pilot study that was not sufficiently powered to detect small differences. So, the fact that cardiac function was significantly improved by meditation was particularly significant. Had a greater number of participants been included, the reduced mortality may have also been significant. Future studies should include an active control condition and a greater number of participants. Regardless, it is clear that meditation is good for heart failure patients. Since stress aggravates the condition, perhaps the improved cardiac function in the meditators was due to the known ability of meditation to improve the physiological and psychological responses to stress.

 

So, improve cardiac health in heart failure patients with meditation.

 

“Given the low costs and low risks of this intervention, meditation may be considered as an adjunct to guideline‐directed cardiovascular risk reduction.” – Glenn Levine

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Aditee, D., Pankaj, M., Neil, B., Nayereh, P., Dali, F., & N Srivatsa, U. (2020). Meditation for Improved Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Implantable Defibrillators for Heart Failure- Pilot Study. Journal of atrial fibrillation, 12(6), 2314. https://doi.org/10.4022/jafib.2314

 

Abstract

Background

Sympathetic activation is associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) and leads to adverse clinical events. We hypothesized that meditation by reducing emotional reactivity would have beneficial effect in reducing arrhythmias compared to control patients.

Methods

Patients known to have CHF and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) were randomized to Vipassana meditation or usual care control group. Meditation group underwent meditation classes three times during the first week, thereafter every once two weeks. They were encouraged to practice meditation at least once everyday. The ICD was followed by clinic/ remote visits. Atrial (AA) and ventricular arrhythmias (VA) as well cardiac events were assessed in follow up. Chi square test was used to compare nominal variables and t test for continuous variables.

Results

Patients (n=25, 65% male, mean LVEF 25%, HTN 38%, Diabetes 12%, coronary artery disease 38%, NYHA class 2.2) were followed for 79 + 36 months. Comparing meditation vs control, survival was higher (88%vs 67%); there was less cumulative sustained AF episodes (mean 0.9, IQR 0-1 vs 2.5, IQR 2-4, p=0.045), sustained VT occurred (25% vs 55%, amiodarone use (none vs 44%), and VT ablation in 6.6% vs 33% in the meditation group.

Conclusions

In this first pilot study of meditation in CHF patients with ICD, during long term follow up, there is a trend for improved survival and reduced arrhythmias in patients randomized to meditation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7533122/

 

Improve Attention with Short-Term Loving Kindness Meditation

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Improve Attention with Short-Term Loving Kindness Meditation

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“meditation practice is associated with enduring improvements in sustained attention,” – Anthony Zanesco

 

There has accumulated a large amount of research demonstrating that mindfulness has significant benefits for psychological, physiological, and spiritual wellbeing. It even improves high level thinking known as executive function and emotion regulation and compassion. One of the primary effects of mindfulness training is an improvement in the ability to pay attention to the task at hand and ignore interfering stimuli. This is an important consequence of mindfulness training and produces improvements in thinking, reasoning, and creativity. The importance of heightened attentional ability to the individual’s ability to navigate the demands of complex modern life cannot be overstated. It helps in school, at work, in relationships, or simply driving a car.

 

One understudied meditation technique is Loving Kindness Meditation. It is designed to develop kindness and compassion to oneself and others. The individual systematically pictures different individuals from self, to close friends, to enemies and wishes them happiness, well-being, safety, peace, and ease of well-being. Although Loving Kindness Meditation has been practiced for centuries, it has received very little scientific research attention. As important as attention is, it’s surprising that little is known about the short-term effects of Loving Kindness Meditation on attention.

 

In today’s Research News article “Short-Term Effects of Meditation on Sustained Attention as Measured by fNIRS.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7564228/ ) Izzetoglu and colleagues recruited healthy non-meditating college students. During the one session study the participants had their blood pressure and heart rate monitored and functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) sensors placed on their foreheads. “fNIRS is an optics-based brain imaging modality which can measure relative changes in oxygenated (HbO2) and deoxygenated (Hb) hemoglobin using light in the near infrared range (650–950 nm)”. It is thought to measure blood flow from the prefrontal cortex which is involved in high level thinking.

 

The participants were then measured for sustained attention by performing in order the Stroop Color task, the Stroop word task, and then the Stroop Color Word task. These measurements were followed by a guided 22-minute Loving Kindness Meditation practice. After meditation the three sustained attention (Stroop) tasks were repeated. In the color Stroop test names of colors were presented in colors different from the word, e.g. the word RED appears in a blue color. The participants are asked to report the word (naming) or the color of the word ignoring the meaning of the word itself (inhibition) or switch back and forth (Executive function).

 

They found that in comparison to per-meditation, after Loving Kindness Meditation practice there was a significant increase in the speed of responding on the Stroop tasks and reduction in pulse pressure and systolic blood pressure. The fNIRS measure during the Stroop task suggested that after meditation there was a significant increase in blood flow to the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and area thought to be involved in attentional focus.

 

The study was very short term and there was no control comparison group. So, the results must be interpreted carefully. Nevertheless, they suggest that the immediate effects of Loving Kindness Meditation practice is to improve attentional focus reflected in behavioral performance, physiological relaxation, and brain activity. These short term effects of meditation are compatible with the observed long term effects of Loving Kindness Meditation. This suggests that the long-term effects of the meditation on the physiology and behavior occur due to an accumulation of short-term impacts.

 

So, improve attention with short-term Loving Kindness Meditation.

 

“meditation training helps people do better at focusing for a long time on a task that requires them to distinguish small differences between things they see.” – Science Daily

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

 

Study Summary

 

Izzetoglu, M., Shewokis, P. A., Tsai, K., Dantoin, P., Sparango, K., & Min, K. (2020). Short-Term Effects of Meditation on Sustained Attention as Measured by fNIRS. Brain sciences, 10(9), 608. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10090608

 

Abstract

Cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, processing time, perception, and reasoning can be augmented using some type of intervention. Within the broad range of conventional and unconventional intervention methods used in cognitive enhancement, meditation is one of those that is safe, widely practiced by many since ancient times, and has been shown to reduce stress and improve psychological health and cognitive functioning. Various neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) have shown functional and structural changes due to meditation in different types of meditation practices and on various groups of meditators. Recently, a few studies on meditation have used functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study the effects of meditation on cerebral hemodynamics. In this study, we examined the short-term effects of loving-kindness (LK) meditation on sustained attention using behavioral performance measures, physiological outcomes, and cognitive activity as measured by fNIRS in first-time meditators during Stroop color word task (SCWT) performance. Our results indicated that behavioral outcomes, assessed mainly on response time (RT) during SCWT performance, showed a significant decrease after meditation. As expected, physiological measures, primarily pulse pressure (PP) measured after meditation dropped significantly as compared to the before meditation measurement. For the hemodynamic measures of oxygenated-hemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated-hemoglobin (Hb), and total-hemoglobin (HbT), our findings show significant differences in SCWT performance before and after meditation. Our results suggest that LK meditation can result in improvements in cognitive, physiological, and behavioral outcomes of first-time meditators after a short-term session.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7564228/

 

Reduce Heart Arrhythmia with Yoga

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Reduce Heart Arrhythmia with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“the practice of yoga is good for overall heart health, and especially beneficial for afib patients. Yoga can help reduce the number of episodes, lower blood pressure, and alleviate some of the anxiety and depression that may go along with having the condition.” – Midwest Health

 

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined. Lifestyle changes have proved to be quite effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. These include quitting smoking, weight reduction, improved diet, physical activity, and reducing stresses. Contemplative practices, such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga, have also been shown to be helpful for heart health. These practices have also been shown to be helpful for producing the kinds of other lifestyle changes needed such as smoking cessation, weight reduction and stress reduction. Yoga is a mindfulness practice that has been shown to improve physical well-being and cardiovascular health.

 

“An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. When a heart beats too fast, the condition is called tachycardia. When a heart beats too slowly, the condition is called bradycardia.” (NIH). Arrythmias if untreated could lead to heart failure, stroke, cardiac arrest and sudden infant death. So, it is very important to identify treatments for arrhythmias. Research on the ability of yoga practice to treat arrhythmias has been accumulating, So, it makes sense to step back and review what has been learned on the ability of yoga to treat heart arrhythmia.

 

In today’s Research News article “Impact of Yoga on Cardiac Autonomic Function and Arrhythmias.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7533135/ ) Akella and colleagues review and summarized the published research on the effects of yoga practice on heart arrhythmia and its symptoms.

 

They report that the published research studies found that practicing yoga reduces heart arrhythmias. It reduces resting blood pressure and heart rate in these patients and reduces atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia and syncope. They further report that the published research suggests that these benefits results from yoga practice producing an increase in vagal tone and a reduction in fluctuations in the autonomic nervous system.

 

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling the physiology of the body including the cardiovascular system. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is the component that oversees activation, including increases in heart rate and blood pressure while the parasympathetic division, controlled through the vagus nerve, oversees relaxation including decreases in heart rate and blood pressure. The increase in vagal tone observed in the yoga practitioners indicates an increase in the parasympathetic, relaxation, responses. The reduction in fluctuation in the autonomic nervous system indicates that there is less variation over time in the physiological systems, fewer wild swings in heart rate and blood pressure. In this way, yoga practice appears to improve cardiovascular function and thereby reduce arrhythmias. Needless to say that this is very beneficial for the health and even survival of these patients.

 

So, reduce heart arrhythmia with yoga.

 

“Yoga may improve quality of life in patients with paroxysmal AFib because it gives them a method to gain some self-control over their symptoms instead of feeling helpless,” – Maria Wahlström

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Akella, K., Kanuri, S. H., Murtaza, G., G Della Rocca, D., Kodwani, N., K Turagam, M., Shenthar, J., Padmanabhan, D., Basu Ray, I., Natale, A., Gopinathannair, R., & Lakkireddy, D. (2020). Impact of Yoga on Cardiac Autonomic Function and Arrhythmias. Journal of atrial fibrillation, 13(1), 2408. https://doi.org/10.4022/jafib.2408

 

Abstract

With the expanding integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices in conjunction with modern medicine, yoga has quickly risen to being one of the most common CAM practices across the world. Despite widespread use of yoga, limited studies are available, particularly in the setting of dysrhythmia. Preliminary studies demonstrate promising results from integration of yoga as an adjunct to medical therapy for management of dysrhythmias. In this review, we discuss the role of autonomic nervous system in cardiac arrhythmia,interaction of yoga with autonomic tone and its subsequent impact on these disease states. The role of yoga in specific disease states, and potential future direction for studies assessing the role of yoga in dysrhythmia.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7533135/

 

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Reduce Blood Pressure with Tai Chi

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Reduce Blood Pressure with Tai Chi

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“As is true for meditation and deep breathing exercises, tai chi may help lower blood pressure. . .  It’s not as much as you’d see from taking medication, but it’s similar in magnitude to other lifestyle interventions, such as doing modest amounts of exercise and consuming less sodium.” – Harvard Health

 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is an insidious disease because there are no overt symptoms. The individual feels fine. But it can be deadly as more than 360,000 American deaths, roughly 1,000 deaths each day, had high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. In addition, hypertension markedly increases the risk heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease.  It is also a very common disorder with about 70 million American adults (29%) having high blood pressure and only about half (52%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. Treatment frequently includes antihypertensive drugs. But these medications often have adverse side effects. So, patients feel lousy when taking the drugs, but fine when they’re not. So, compliance is a major issue with many patients not taking the drugs regularly or stopping entirely.

 

Obviously, there is a need for alternatives to drugs for reducing blood pressure. Mindfulness practices have been shown to aid in controlling hypertension. Tai Chi is ancient mindfulness practice involving slow prescribed movements. Since Tai Chi is both a mindfulness practice and an exercise, it is particularly acceptable and effective methods to improve cardiovascular health. The research has been accumulating. So, it makes sense to step back and summarize what has been learned.

 

In today’s Research News article “Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects of Tai Chi on Blood Pressure.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7563036/ ) Dong and colleagues review, summarize, and perform a meta-analysis of the ability of Tai Chi practice to reduce blood pressure in both normal and hypertensive patients. They identified 24 published controlled trials.

 

They report that the published research studies found that Tai Chi practice significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both hypertensive and normal blood pressure participants. But the improvements observed with Tai Chi practice were no greater than those found with other aerobic exercises. The published research studies then demonstrate that Tai Chi practice reduces blood pressure in both normal and hypertensive patients. But is no better than other aerobic exercises.

 

Thus, exercise in general including Tai Chi practice is good for cardiovascular health. Tai Chi practice, though, has a number of advantages. It is gentle and completely safe, can be used with the elderly and sickly, is inexpensive to administer, can be performed in groups or alone, at home or in a facility or even public park, and can be quickly learned. In addition, it can also be practiced in social groups without professional supervision. This can make it fun, improving the likelihood of long-term engagement in the practice. Hence, Tai Chi practice may be better for cardiovascular health than other exercises because it is more likely to be engaged in and maintained.

 

So, reduce blood pressure with Tai Chi.

 

“Tai chi may be just as effective as popular methods for lowering blood pressure, such as weight loss and lowered sodium intake.” – Abbott

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Dong, X., Ding, M., & Yi, X. (2020). Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects of Tai Chi on Blood Pressure. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2020, 8503047. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8503047

 

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of Tai Chi on blood pressure (BP) using the meta-analysis.

Methods

This paper used 6 e-resource databases, and randomized controlled trials on the role of Tai Chi on blood pressure were retrieved. Besides, the meta-analysis was conducted according to the guidelines of the Moose-recommendations and applied with Review Manager 5.3, and the risk of bias assessment was performed with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. The inclusion, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were independently finished by two researchers.

Results

There are 24 trials meeting the criteria of inclusion and the results were reviewed. The meta-analysis indicates that, compared with no exercise, Tai Chi had the influence of lowering systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −6.07, 95%CI (−8.75, −3.39), P < 0.00001) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference MD = −3.83, 95%CI (−4.97, −2.69), P < 0.00001). No significant discrepancies in all outcomes between Tai Chi and other aerobic exercises were discovered.

Conclusion

Tai Chi can significantly reduce systolic and diastolic pressure than inactivity. However, Tai Chi does not show advantages in reducing blood pressure compared to other aerobic exercises.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7563036/

 

Improve Health and Treat Illness with Qigong

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Improve Health and Treat Illness with Qigong

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“in order to do qigong … we have to be pretend to be empty, so the first thing to empty is the mind, so we try not to think of anything and only listen to our breathing, relax all the strength and relax the mind, so it’s some kind of meditation.” – Joe Lok

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are ancient mindfulness practices involving slow prescribed movements. They are gentle and completely safe, can be used with the elderly and sickly, are inexpensive to administer, can be performed in groups or alone, at home or in a facility or even public park, and can be quickly learned. In addition, they can also be practiced in social groups without professional supervision. This can make it fun, improving the likelihood of long-term engagement in the practice.

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are both mindfulness practices and exercises. They have been shown to be beneficial to the health and well-being of individuals of a variety of ages, but particularly the elderly. They also improve the symptoms of a variety of diseases. The studies of the benefits for health of Tai Chi and Qigong are accumulating and so it makes sense to take a moment to summarize what has been learned.

 

In today’s Research News article “Benefits of Qigong as an integrative and complementary practice for health: a systematic review.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7365612/) Toneti and colleagues review and summarize the published research studies of the benefits for health of Qigong practice. They identified 28 published clinical trials.

 

They report that the published research studies found that Qigong practice significantly promotes health and is effective in the prevention and rehabilitation of diseases in adults and the elderly. The evidence supports the effectiveness of Qigong practice in treating the symptoms of cancer, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and COPD. It has also been shown to be effective in reducing chronic pain including low back pain, cervical pain, and osteoarthritis pain. In addition, it has been shown to be effective in reducing perceived stress, burnout, fatigue, social isolation, and depression.

 

Hence, the available published research suggests that Qigong practice is effective in promoting physical and psychological health in healthy people and people with diseases at a variety of ages including the elderly. These are impressive benefits for a gentle and safe practice that can be rolled out to a wide audience at low cost. This suggests that people should be encouraged to participate in Qigong practice to promote their health and well-being.

 

So, improve health and treat illness with Qigong.

 

“Qi gong and tai chi are relaxing ways to improve your flexibility and balance. Both are great ways to stay active and vital. The gentle, flowing movements are easy on the joints.” – Jodi Helmer

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Toneti, B. F., Barbosa, R., Mano, L. Y., Sawada, L. O., Oliveira, I. G., & Sawada, N. O. (2020). Benefits of Qigong as an integrative and complementary practice for health: a systematic review. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 28, e3317. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.3718.3317

 

Abstract

Objective:

to analyze, in the literature, evidence about the benefits of the integrative and complementary practice of Qigong with regard to the health of adults and the elderly.

Method:

a systematic review by searching for studies in the PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials were included; in Portuguese, English and Spanish; from 2008 to 2018. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy was adopted, as well as the recommendation of the Cochrane Collaboration for assessing the risk of bias in the clinical trials analyzed.

Results:

28 studies were selected that indicated the benefit of the practice to the target audience, which can be used for numerous health conditions, such as: cancer; fibromyalgia; Parkinson’s disease; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Burnout; stress; social isolation; chronic low back pain; cervical pain; buzz; osteoarthritis; fatigue; depression; and cardiovascular diseases. However, there was a great risk of bias in terms of the blinding of the research studies.

Conclusion:

the practice of Qigong produces positive results on health, mainly in the medium and long term. This study contributes to the advancement in the use of integrative and complementary practices in nursing, since it brings together the scientific production in the area from the best research results available.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7365612/

 

Improve Adherence to Treatment and Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Mindfulness

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Improve Adherence to Treatment and Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Not only can meditation improve how your heart functions, but a regular practice can enhance your outlook on life and motivate you to maintain many heart-healthy behaviors, like following a proper diet, getting adequate sleep, and keeping up regular exercise,” – Dr. John Denninger

 

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer. A myriad of treatments has been developed including a variety of surgical procedures and medications. In addition, lifestyle changes have proved to be effective including quitting smoking, weight reduction, improved diet, physical activity, and reducing stresses. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, 60% of cardiovascular disease patients decline engaging in these lifestyle changes, making these patients at high risk for another attack.

 

Contemplative practices have been shown to be safe and effective alternative treatments for cardiovascular disease. Practices such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga, have been shown to be helpful for heart health and to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. They have also been shown to be effective in maintaining cardiovascular health and the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)  is a mindfulness-based therapeutic technique that produces behavior change by focusing on changing the thoughts and emotions that precede problem behaviors, as well as by solving the problems faced by individuals that contribute to problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In DBT five core skills are practiced; mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, the middle path, and interpersonal effectiveness.

 

It makes sense, then, to study the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the treatment of patients with Coronary Heart Disease. In today’s Research News article “The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on adherence to treatment and self-caring behavior in patients with coronary heart disease.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073803/) Tavakoli and colleagues recruited patients with coronary heart disease. They continued to receive treatment as usual and were randomly assigned to receive either no additional treatment or an 8 weekly 2-hour session of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). They were measured before and after training for medication adherence and self-care for coronary heart disease.

 

They found that in comparison to baseline and the control group that the patients who received Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) had significantly improved medication adherence and self-care for coronary heart disease. These effects of DBT would predict favorable outcomes. After DBT the patients take their medication more reliably and they better maintain and manage their own care and have greater confidence in their ability to care for themselves. These improvements to the patients’ behavior should lead to better recovery from coronary heart disease and better overall health.

 

So, improve adherence to treatment and self-care of coronary heart disease patients with mindfulness.

 

“this practice may be clinically useful in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease [the prevention of further heart or stroke events for people who already have the condition].” – Heart Matters

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Tavakoli, F., Kazemi-Zahrani, H., & Sadeghi, M. (2019). The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on adherence to treatment and self-caring behavior in patients with coronary heart disease. ARYA atherosclerosis, 15(6), 281–287. https://doi.org/10.22122/arya.v15i6.1733

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) on adherence to treatment and self-caring behavior in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODS

This was an experimental study based on control and experimental groups with pre-test and post-test. 32 male and female patients with CHD having at least high school diploma, referring to Isfahan cardiovascular research institute, Isfahan, Iran, were selected and placed randomly in two groups of control and experimental. Pre-test stage was done for both two groups by 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (SC-CHDI). The experimental group was placed under the intervention of DBT for 8 sessions of 2 hours (once a week). Afterwards, the post-test was done for both groups.

RESULTS

It was shown by analyzing results from t-test that adherence to treatment and self-care behavior significantly increased in experimental group comparing to control group [(1.81 ± 0.75 vs. 5.19 ± 1.22, P < 0.001) and (72.50 ± 4.38 vs. 55.50 ± 7.42, P < 0.001), respectively]. Also results showed that self-caring and adherence to treatment significantly increased after being adjusted for baseline measurement (P < 0.001). The findings showed that DBT had effect on adherence to treatment and self-caring behavior of patients with CHD.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of results, it could be said that DBT intervention can have positive impact on adherence to treatment and self-caring behavior of patients with CHD.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073803/