High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is leading preventable cause of heart disease. It affects estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide. New guidelines from International Society of Hypertension (ISH) include meditating for 45 minutes each day to reduce blood pressure. ISH says "body and mind" goals should be adopted in conjunction with established advice, like cutting down on salt, limiting alcohol intake, and exercising regularly. Study author Dr Bryan Williams told BBC: "It all sounds like it is bit…fluffy, but these things make such important contribution to reducing effects of stress on cardiovascular system, and evidence is accumulating."
Hypertension is often referred to as "silent killer" because it rarely presents symptoms. High blood pressure increases risk of heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. It kills approximately 10 million people every year. Nearly half of Americans and 30 percent of people worldwide struggle with it. Dr Williams said: "There's so much people can do for themselves. All of us need to take step back and…decompress and just relax." American Heart Association also says meditating can help to lower blood pressure through "thoughtful awareness" or "restful alertness". association reports that many studies show that "quieting brain" benefits the cardiovascular system.
