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Meditation helps reduce high blood pressure

Blood Pressure - Level 4

High blood pressure is the leading preventable cause of heart disease. It affects 1.3 billion people. Researchers say daily meditation for 45 minutes can reduce blood pressure. They said "body and mind" goals should be adopted together with standard advice, like less salt, limiting alcohol, and regular exercise. The researchers said meditating sounds "fluffy," but evidence shows it really reduces the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system.

High blood pressure is known as a "silent killer" because we rarely see symptoms. It increases the risk of heart failure and stroke. It kills 10 million people annually. Nearly 30 percent of people worldwide have it. A researcher said we need to "take a step back and…just relax". The American Heart Association also says meditating can lower blood pressure. It says many studies show that "quieting the brain" benefits the cardiovascular system.

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Blood Pressure - Level 5

Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is the leading preventable cause of heart disease. It affects 1.3 billion people worldwide. New guidelines from a hypertension society include daily meditation for 45 minutes to reduce blood pressure. It says "body and mind" goals should be adopted in conjunction with established advice, like cutting down on salt, limiting alcohol intake, and exercising regularly. The study author told the BBC that meditating sounds a bit "fluffy," but evidence shows it makes, "an important contribution to reducing the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system".

Hypertension is referred to as a "silent killer" because we rarely see symptoms. It increases the risk of heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. It kills around 10 million people annually. Nearly 30 percent of people worldwide struggle with it. The author said: "All of us need to take a step back and…decompress and just relax." The American Heart Association also says meditating can lower blood pressure through "restful alertness". The association reports that many studies show that "quieting the brain" benefits the cardiovascular system.

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Blood Pressure - Level 6

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the leading preventable cause of heart disease. It affects an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide. New guidelines from the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) include meditating for 45 minutes each day to reduce blood pressure. The 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 the BBC: "It all sounds like it is a bit…fluffy, but these things make such an important contribution to reducing the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system, and the evidence is accumulating."

Hypertension is often referred to as the "silent killer" because it rarely presents symptoms. High blood pressure increases the 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 a step back and…decompress and just relax." The American Heart Association also says meditating can help to lower blood pressure through "thoughtful awareness" or "restful alertness". The association reports that many studies show that "quieting the brain" benefits the cardiovascular system.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson