Impact of Heartfulness Meditation on Improving Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profile in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Introduction: Oxidative stress plays an indispensable role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Several studies suggest that meditation can reduce oxidative stress and improve antioxidant status. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of heartfulness meditation on antioxidant status and lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: Fifty-nine angiographically diagnosed CAD patients were included in the study. Patients who were enrolled practiced heartfulness meditation for a period of six months. Protein thiol (an antioxidant marker), serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C), low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL-C) were measured under fasting conditions before and after six months of meditation practice. Results: After six months of practice of heartfulness meditation, there was a statistically significant increase in HDL-C (39.10 ± 8.30 vs. 42.85 ± 8.16, p < .01) and an antioxidant marker protein thiol (257.34 ± 39.68 vs. 345.31 ± 57.53, p < .0001). The mean levels of triglycerides (205.81 ± 88.31 vs. 182.53 ± 93.57 mg dl−1), VLDL-C (41.18 ± 17.64 vs. 36.51 ± 18.71 mg dl−1), and total cholesterol (170.02 ± 40.10 vs. 164.46 ± 42.20 mg dl−1) decreased following the intervention, although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Heartfulness meditation is an effective means to decrease free radical formation and improve antioxidant status and lipid profile in CAD patients. As a result of this study, regular meditation practice has the potential to be one of the most effective non-pharmacological strategies for CAD prevention.