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BMC Geriatrics
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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Research

Effect of an 18-month meditation training on cardiovascular risk in older adults: a secondary analysis of the Age-Well randomized controlled trial

Authors: Antoine Garnier-Crussard, Julie Gonneaud, Francesca Felisatti, Cassandre Palix, Eglantine Ferrand Devouge, Anne Chocat, Géraldine Rauchs, Vincent de la Sayette, Denis Vivien, Harriet Demnitz-King, Antoine Lutz, Gaël Chételat, Géraldine Poisnel, the Medit-Ageing Research Group

Published in: BMC Geriatrics | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

Cardiovascular risk factors represent an important health issue in older adults. Previous findings suggest that meditation training could have a positive impact on these risk factors. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an 18-month meditation-based intervention on cardiovascular health.

Methods

Age-Well was a randomized, controlled superiority trial with blinded end point assessment, including community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired adults 65 years and older enrolled between November 24, 2016, and March 5, 2018, in France. One hundred and thirty-four participants were included in this secondary analysis. Participants were randomly affected to an intervention group that received an 18-month meditation-based program or to comparison groups (active control group i.e. non-native language training or passive control group i.e. no intervention). The main outcome was change in the Framingham Risk Score (FRS); other outcomes were changes in cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.

Results

There was no difference in FRS change after 18 months between trial arms (p = .38). When assessing individual cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors, meditation training was associated with a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure than the comparison group in participants with intermediate to high cardiovascular risk (FRS > 10%) at baseline (p = .03).

Conclusion

An 18-month meditation training was not effective to increase overall cardiovascular health in older adults, but improved diastolic blood pressure in a subgroup analysis including at-risk participants. These results suggest a potential benefit of a long-term meditation intervention in older adults at-risk of cardiovascular diseases, and highlights the need for future research in more targeted populations.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Effect of an 18-month meditation training on cardiovascular risk in older adults: a secondary analysis of the Age-Well randomized controlled trial
Authors
Antoine Garnier-Crussard
Julie Gonneaud
Francesca Felisatti
Cassandre Palix
Eglantine Ferrand Devouge
Anne Chocat
Géraldine Rauchs
Vincent de la Sayette
Denis Vivien
Harriet Demnitz-King
Antoine Lutz
Gaël Chételat
Géraldine Poisnel
the Medit-Ageing Research Group
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Geriatrics / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2318
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05550-9

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