Can Yoga and Meditation Prevent High Blood Pressure?

Devoted yogis often extol the virtues of their practice, from better sleep and improved fitness to what only the most devoted call "yoga butt."

Now researchers at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre want to study if yoga, combined with meditation, can help lower blood pressure and prevent the onset of hypertension.

Dr. Sheldon Tobe and his team have begun the search for 70 patients to participate in the study, which will involve up to a 10-month commitment.

According to Tobe, participants in the study, dubbed HARMONY (Hypertension Analysis of Stress Reduction using Meditation & Yoga) will learn skills for decreasing stress, which is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. Stress management is already a recommended treatment for patients with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease. (More)

Source: South Asia Mail