8-week meditation program reduces BP in CKD patients: Study

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2021-12-24T09:00:28+05:30 | Updated On 24 Dec 2021 3:15 PM IST

USA: Preliminary results from a recent study indicate that 8 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may reduce resting blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Blood pressure-lowering effects of MBSR were regardless of changes in vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness.

The findings were presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2021.

Vascular dysfunction and hypertension are common in CKD patients and are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Mindfulness-based stress reduction is an 8-week meditation program that has been shown to reduce blood pressure in other patient populations. However, it was not known if it can lower BP in CKD patients, and also the underlying mechanism. To shed some light on the same, Juan Sebastian Arroyave from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, US, and the team hypothesized that MBSR lowers blood pressure in CKD and that the BP-lowering effects of MBSR are mediated by improvements in vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness.

The study included 19 patients with Stages III and IV, aged 40-80 years who were randomized to MBSR (n=14) versus Health Enhancement Program (HEP; the active control intervention; n=5) for 8 weeks. Endothelial function by Reactive Hyperemia Index (RHI), resting blood pressures, and arterial stiffness by Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) was measured at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention.

The authors found that those in the MBSR group showed a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure (MAP) (-7.3 ± 10.9), whereas there was no change in MAP within the HEP group (+4.4 ± 9.8 mmHg. There was no change in RHI and PWV after MBSR or HEP.

The MBSR group had a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure (MAP) (-7.3 ± 10.9), whereas there was no change in MAP within the HEP group (+4.4 ± 9.8 mmHg). RHI and PWV after MBSR or HEP remained unchanged.

To sum up, the preliminary results suggest that 8 weeks of MBSR may decrease resting blood pressure in CKD. These blood pressure lowering effects were observed independent of changes in vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness.

These are preliminary results for an ongoing clinical study that will include a larger sample size to extend these findings, the researchers note.

meditationchronic kidney diseaseblood pressureAmerican Society of Nephrology

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751