Big deal. Even if, as a result of the research study, it comes out as a positive thing to do TM, who trusts the TMO anymore? Heck, I'm a 36 year regular meditator and even I don't trust their research...
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <no_re...@...> wrote: > > NIH grants $1 million to study whether Transcendental Meditation can > prevent future heart attacks in CHD patients > </news/20091107/NIH-grants-241-million-to-study-whether-Transcendental-M\ > editation-can-prevent-future-heart-attacks-in-CHD-patients.aspx> 7. > november 2009 00:01 NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood > Institute provides $1 million for new study at Columbia University > Medical Center > The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood > Institute will fund a $1 million collaborative study by the Center for > Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management > Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center to determine > whether the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique can help > patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) prevent future heart attacks > </health/What-is-a-Heart-Attack.aspx> , strokes and death. > > The 12-week "Randomized Controlled Trial of Stress Reduction in the > Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in African Americans," > will be conducted at Columbia University Medical Center in New York > City. The trial will examine 56 patients who have had a heart attack > </health/What-is-a-Heart-Attack.aspx> or bypass surgery, angioplasty, > or chronic angina. > > "For decades, stress has been implicated in the cause and progression of > heart disease," said Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., lead author and > director of the NIH-funded Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention. > "And while standard cardiac rehabilitation usually includes supervised > exercise and lifestyle education, it does not usually include a formal > stress reduction program. > > "Now, for the first time, this study will evaluate whether adding stress > reduction through the Transcendental Meditation technique to > conventional cardiac rehabilitation will aid in the treatment of serious > CHD compared to conventional cardiac rehabilitation alone," Dr. > Schneider said. > > Patients will be carefully evaluated before and after the study for > changes in their coronary artery disease with the most advanced > noninvasive methods for measuring cardiac function-PET or positron > emission tomography. According to Sabahat Bokhari, MD, Director of > Nuclear Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center and study > co-director, "PET is an innovative imaging technology that allows us to > visually and non-invasively study blood flow to the heart. With this > state-of-the-art technology, doctors can now measure the blood flow to > the heart and thus quantify the full impact of stress reduction on CHD." > > The NIH funding allocation is part of the Obama Administration's > American Reinvestment and Recovery Act-or economic stimulus bill. > Competition for the funding was fierce with more than 20,000 > applications for the Challenge Grants category and only 840 awarded. "In > the current climate of health care reform, the purpose of this grant is > to find more effective treatments for heart disease and thereby find > more effective ways to reduce health care costs," Dr. Schneider said. > > "The NHLBI's Recovery Act funds will make it possible to evaluate > Transcendental Meditation as a promising tool in helping to prevent > heart attacks </health/What-is-a-Heart-Attack.aspx> , strokes, and death > related to coronary events. This is worthwhile research since we know > that strong emotional stress can lead to conditions such as arrhythmia > and hypertension," said NHLBI Director Elizabeth Nabel, M.D. > > Results from several earlier trials on the Transcendental Meditation > program found reductions in risk factors for heart disease, such as > hypertension, psychological stress, insulin resistance, and build-up of > atherosclerosis in the arteries, with indications of reduced mortality > from heart disease. This newly funded study will directly evaluate > coronary artery disease and continue to examine the potential of > meditation for improvements in cardiovascular health. > > > * Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the > United States > > > * There are nearly 1.5 million heart attacks > </health/What-is-a-Heart-Attack.aspx> per year in the US, according the > American Heart Association > > > * An American will suffer a heart attack > </health/What-is-a-Heart-Attack.aspx> every 34 seconds > > > * Coronary heart disease is also the leading cause of soaring health > care costs; more than $475 billion spent annually on treating CHD, > including > * $100,000 for each coronary bypass surgery > * $50,000 for each angioplasty > * $30,000 for each diagnostic cardiac catheterization > > > > > * There are nearly 500,000 coronary artery bypass grafts and 1.3 > million angioplasties performed every year > > > * Stress is thought to contribute to development of CHD > > > > Source: Maharishi University of Management <http://www.mum.edu/> >
