Becoming mindful – focusing attention and awareness on the moment – may sound like a New Age mantra, but researchers from Ohio claim that it can lower blood pressure to the extent that it could prevent or delay the need for drug intervention. The study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, shows that patients with borderline high blood pressure following a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program successfully reduced their blood pressure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 68 million – 1 in 3 – adult Americans have hypertension or high blood pressure, which is commonly known as a “silent killer.” Many sufferers are unaware that they have hypertension, as it often presents no warning signs or symptoms. Researchers from Kent State University say that borderline high blood pressure – or prehypertension – currently affects 30% of Americans and is attracting medical attention because of the associated risks of cardiovascular disease. Patients may be prescribed medication to treat this condition, but the researchers say MBSR may be a useful alternative to popping pills.

Strategies for reducing stress MBSR is not a new idea, but one that is becoming increasingly popular among the medical community. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, was one of the first to see its benefits and understand the health implications. Writing in a commentary in JAMA, he explores the clinical implications and identifies some of the challenges. Prof. Kabat-Zinn devised this behavioral program to help people cope with stress and be more at ease in their lives. Incorporating techniques such as meditation, mind-body exercises and gentle yoga, MBSR has its roots in Buddhism but is most often taught in a non-religious format. Joel W. Hughes, PhD and lead author of the study, says: “Mindfulness-based stress reduction is an increasingly popular practice that has been purported to alleviate stress, treat depression and anxiety, and treat certain health conditions.” Medical News Today has reported how MBSR has proven successful for helping many people control the stress in their lives – for school children, adolescents and teachers. Prof. Hughes explains that while earlier studies have reported small but significant reductions in blood pressure using Transcendental Meditation, no one had yet tested the success of MBSR for patients with prehypertension. The study looked at 56 men and women who had been diagnosed with prehypertension but were not prescribed drugs. The group were randomly divided into two groups – one assigned an MBSR program and the other given lifestyle advice and a muscle-relaxation activity.