Can Natural Medicine Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?

Clinical Trials were Presented during the Annual Meeting
of the American College of Cardiology on March 13 in Atlanta

Can meditation and other mind-body modalities of traditional systems of natural medicine prevent coronary heart disease and heart failure? That question will be addressed during the “Symposium on Integrative Cardiology” to be held the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology from March 11 to 14 in Atlanta.

For the first time, cardiologists will hear a presentation of controlled trials involving the use of the Transcendental Meditation technique and modalities of traditional Vedic medicine and Chinese . medicine. The symposium was held on Monday, March 13,11-12:30 in Hall B102, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The symposium will be co-chaired by Robert Schneider, M.D., FACC, Director of the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa; and Brian Olshansky, M.D., FACC Professor of Cardiology at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Dr. Schneider said the aim of the studies was to evaluate feasibility and efficacy of the approaches used as adjuncts to conventional cardiological care for primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and heart failure.

“National surveys indicate that almost 50 percent of the American public uses complementary and alternative medicine modalities. This is likely due to the continued high rates of CVD and other chronic diseases in this country along with unacceptable rates of adverse side effects with modern/conventional medical care. This first of its kind ACC symposium will review the evidence basis/base for several of the most popular mind-body practices, such as meditation, herbal preparations, tai chi and others on cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic syndrome, coronary heat disease and heart failure,” Dr. Schneider said.

Studies to be presented include:

Review of Clinical Trials on the Transcendental Meditation Program in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention—Robert H. Schneider, Maharishi Vedic City, IA This presentation will review a series of controlled clinical trials on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on CVD risk factors, morbidity and mortality. The results show reductions in hypertension, myocardial ischemia, carotid atherosclerosis, and long-term mortality from all causes and CVD. Meta-analyses of controlled studies show reductions in psychosocial stress, smoking and alcohol abuse.

Effects of a Multimodality Vedic Medicine Program in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Pilot Trial—Brian Olshansky, Iowa City, IA This presentation will present the results of the first pilot trial of the effects of a comprehensive application of a traditional system of natural medicine, the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health in CHD patients. The interventions included stress reduction through meditation, yoga exercises, individualized Ayurvedic herbal preparations, and Vedic diet. The results suggest reductions in carotid atherosclerosis in the experimental group compared to controls.

Site: University of Iowa College of Medicine

A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial of a Traditional Antioxidant Herbal Preparation on Markers of Atherosclerosis—Otelio S. Randall Washington, D.C.
This presentation will review the rationale, design, and baseline characteristics for a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of Vedic herbal preparations compared to vitamins C and E and to placebo in older patients at high risk for CVD. The primary outcomes are oxidized lipids, brachial artery reactivity, and carotid atherosclerosis.

Site: Howard University Medical School

Effects of Tai Chi in Patients With Heart Failure: Randomized Controlled Trial—Malissa J. Wood Boston, MA This talk will present the results of pilot on the effects of a Traditional Chinese Medicine practice, Tai Chi, in patients with heart failure. The results showed improvements in functional capacity measured by the 6-minute walk test, and BNP—brain natriuretic peptide.

Site: Harvard Medical School

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcendental Meditation in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease—C. Noel Bairey Merz Los Angeles, CA This talk will present the results of an RCT on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on components of the metabolic syndrome in patients with CHD. The results showed improvements in insulin resistance and blood pressure over four months of intervention in the active group compared to health education controls.

Site: Cedars Sinai Medical Center