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Published on: May 10, 2017
Increased heart rate variability during nondirective meditation
Anders Nesvold1, Morten W Fagerland, Svend Davanger
1Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital, pb 4959 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway. annesv@ous-HF.no
Nondirective meditation enhances heart rate variability (HRV) by increasing parasympathetic and reducing sympathetic nerve activity. This practice may help reduce cardiovascular risk in middle-aged adults.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Meditation is used for stress reduction and may benefit cardiovascular health.
- Autonomic nervous system responses to meditation vary by technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate autonomic nerve activity changes during nondirective meditation.
Main Methods:
- Monitored heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in 27 healthy adults.
- Collected beat-to-beat, non-invasive hemodynamic and autonomic data during rest and 20-min Acem meditation.
- Analyzed HRV and BPV using power spectral analysis; assessed baroreceptor activity via the sequence method.
Main Results:
- HRV increased in low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) bands during meditation (p=0.014, 0.013).
- Increased RR-interval power spectral density (p=0.012) and reduced LF-BPV power (p<0.001) were observed.
- No significant changes in baroreflex sensitivity (BRS); respiration and heart rate remained stable. Blood pressure slightly increased.
Conclusions:
- Nondirective meditation increases overall HRV, parasympathetic activity, and reduces sympathetic activity.
- This autonomic modulation suggests potential cardiovascular risk reduction in middle-aged practitioners.
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