EBCAM：沉思或降低青少年心血管疾病发病风险

近日，来自乔治亚健康科学大学的研究者研究表明，有规律的冥思可以降低青少年心血管疾病的发病风险。研究者对62个患有高血压的黑人青少年进行研究，每天沉思两次，每次沉思15分钟的小孩儿相比对照组，表现出低的左心室容积（心血管疾病的指示剂）。相关研究成果刊登在了国际杂志Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine上。

研究对象中的一半人进行冥思静坐，在家里和班上每次冥思15分钟，以四个月为周期。另外一半研究对象进行如何降低血压和预防心脑血管疾病的健康教育，但是不进行冥思。随后研究者用二维超声心动图来测定两组研究对象在研究前后的左心室容积量。研究者发现冥思组对象在研究前后左心室容积量发生明显的降低。

研究者Barnes表示，左心室心肌增加的容积量由高血压引发的心脏负担。其中一些黑人青少年已经测得了搞得左心室容积，因为他们的高血压所致，而且有可能一直会持续到其成年。

在冥思期间，机体就好比进入了一个深层休息的过程，交感神经系统活性降低，相比正常状态，机体会释放出较少的应激激素，因此脉管系统会缓和，血压降低，心脏负担降低。

Barnes表示，冥思静坐(Transcendental meditation)可以使得机体处于休息状态，而且比睡觉可以更加深层的休息。统计学数据揭示，1/10的黑人青年都有高血压，如果以此法不断练习，将会降低其发展为心血管疾病的风险，而且可以增加其健康效益。

doi:10.1155/2012/923153
PMC:
PMID:

Impact of Transcendental Meditation on Left Ventricular Mass in African American Adolescents

Vernon A. Barnes,1 Gaston K. Kapuku,1 and Frank A. Treiber2

Background. An early sign of ventricular remodeling is increased left ventricular mass (LVM) which over time may lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, the strongest predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, other than advancing age. Methods. 62 (30 TM; 32 CTL) African American adolescents (age 16.2±1.3 years) with high normal systolic BP were randomly assigned to either 4-month Transcendental Meditation (TM) or health education control groups. The echocardiographic-derived measure of LVM index (LVMI = LVM/ht2.7) was measured before and after the 4-month TM study and at 4-month followup. 2D-guided M-mode echocardiography using a Hewlett Packard 5500 echosonograph was used to determine LVMI. Results. The TM group exhibited a greater decrease in LVMI at 4-month followup compared to the CTL group (−2.6 versus +0.3 gm/ht2.7, P<0.04). The TM group exhibited a lesser increase in BMI at 4-month follow-up compared to the CTL group (0.2±1.6 versus 1.1±1.4, P<0.03). Conclusion. These findings indicate that among a group of prehypertensive African American adolescents, 4 months of TM compared to heath education resulted in a significant decrease in LVMI, and these changes were maintained at 4-month follow-up.