Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18350109›Full record

SynthesisCurrent hypertension reports2007

Stress reduction programs in patients with elevated blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Maxwell V Rainforth, Robert H Schneider, Sanford I Nidich, Carolyn Gaylord-King, John W Salerno, James W Anderson

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Current hypertension reports, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06626061 (Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Burnout Among Caregivers at CHU Grenoble Alpes), which is not on this map. Cited by 100 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
100citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
6.8field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06626061 naenrolling by invitationnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Burnout Among Caregivers at CHU Grenoble Alpes (CHUGA) and CH Métropole Savoie (CHMS) Through a Stress Management Intervention Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapies.

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Hospital, GrenobleRan2025 to 2026Enrolled240ConditionsBurnout, CaregiverArmsCognitive Behavioral Stress management in in person group Format, Cognitive Behavioral Stress management Hybrid Format
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

100 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 301 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Tai chi for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014
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  13. Effects of cardiac rehabilitation with and without meditation on myocardial blood flow using quantitative positron emission tomography: A pilot study.Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology · 2021
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40 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Maxwell V RainforthInstitute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Maharishi University of Management, 2100 Mansion Drive, Suite 211, Maharishi Vedic City, IA 52556, USA. rainforth@mum.edu
Robert H Schneider
Sanford I Nidich
Carolyn Gaylord-King
John W Salerno
James W Anderson
Maharishi University of Management and Technology · IN

Funding

Mechanisms of Meditation in Hypertension in BlacksR01HL083944 · NHLBI · INSTITUTE FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH · PI SCHNEIDER, ROBERT · 2007 to 2010
$2.7M
STRESS REDUCTION IN ELDERLY BLACKS WITH HYPERTENSIONR01HL048107 · NHLBI · MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT · PI SCHNEIDER, ROBERT · 1992 to 2006
$2.3M
NHLBI NIH HHS 1-R01 HL083944NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL048107NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL083944
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Substantial evidence indicates that psychosocial stress contributes to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous meta-analyses of stress reduction and high blood pressure (BP) were outdated and/or methodologically limited. Therefore, we conducted an updated systematic review of the published literature and identified 107 studies on stress reduction and BP. Seventeen trials with 23 treatment comparisons and 960 participants with elevated BP met criteria for well-designed randomized controlled trials and were replicated within intervention categories. Meta-analysis was used to calculate BP changes for biofeedback, -0.8/-2.0 mm Hg (P = NS); relaxation-assisted biofeedback, +4.3/+2.4 mm Hg (P = NS); progressive muscle relaxation, -1.9/-1.4 mm Hg (P = NS); stress management training, -2.3/-1.3 mm (P = NS); and the Transcendental Meditation program, -5.0/-2.8 mm Hg (P = 0.002/0.02). Available evidence indicates that among stress reduction approaches, the Transcendental Meditation program is associated with significant reductions in BP. Related data suggest improvements in other CVD risk factors and clinical outcomes.

Indexed as

Biofeedback, PsychologyBlood PressureCardiovascular DiseasesEvidence-Based MedicineHumansHypertensionMeditationStress, Psychological

Identifiers

PMID18350109
PMCPMC2268875
OpenAlexW2045746719

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.