The study found that compared to combined controls, the TM group showed:
-- 23% reduction in the rate of death from all causes
-- 30% reduction in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease
-- 49% reduction in the rate of death from cancer
"Research has found the Transcendental Meditation program reduces risk factors in heart disease and other chronic disorders, such as high blood pressure, smoking, psychological stress, stress hormones, harmful cholesterol, and atherosclerosis," said Robert Schneider, M.D., FACC, principal author of the study and director of the Center of Natural Medicine and Prevention.
"These reductions slow the aging process and promote the long-term reductions in death rates."
Researchers collaborated on the study from Harvard, University of Iowa, Medical College of Georgia, West Oakland Health Center, and Maharishi University of Management. The study was funded, in part, by a grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.