High blood pressure gives a chance to live longer

Increasing evidence suggests that transcendental meditation may not only reduce stress, but also may help adults with &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/fun/2002/08/12/34262.html ' target=_blank>high blood pressure to live longer, according to a new study.

The new report, published in this month's American &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/09/11/36387.html ' target=_blank>Journal of Cardiology, is based on a review of data from two studies that showed that &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/2001/04/19/3759.html ' target=_blank>transcendental meditation helped decrease blood pressure among white and African-American adults, respectively. Schneider and his team evaluated the association between the meditation technique and risk of death among the study participants.

The two studies included 202 men and women, about 72 years old on average, who had pre-hypertension or mild hypertension. They were assigned to a transcendental meditation group, or to various comparison groups of other relaxation techniques.

Participants in the two studies were followed for about eight years on average — a maximum of nearly 19 years — during which 101 individuals died, tells ABC News.

In addition to the 23 percent reduction in overall death, people who practiced TM showed a 30 percent reduction in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease and a 49 percent reduction in the rate of death from cancer, the study found.