Transcendental meditation is more effective than health education in reducing heart attacks and strokes among African-Americans with heart disease according to researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Almost half of the 201 study participants were women with an average age 59. Many members of the study took cholesterol-lowering drugs, smoked or were obese.

Half the study subjects went to a health education class focused around diet and exercise and lifestyle modification, while the others practiced meditation for twice a day for 20 minutes.

The latter group was more likely to see their blood pressure drop and reported reduced amounts of smoking. Those who meditated were less likely to die or experience a heart attack or stroke, the investigators found.åÊåÊ

Of course the benefits of meditation have been well documented. And this study logically makes sense. The more relaxed and at peace you are the more likely you will reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and other stress-related disorders. Reading about it (health education) is not acting upon it. When you act, things happen. So meditate on that!