Mindfulness and Heart Health

A dedicated mindfulness practice is great for reducing stress, but did you know it could also have an impact on your heart health?

How can mindfulness practice improve heart health?

Mindfulness has been shown to be an effective tool to reduce stress and help patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions in conjunction with medical treatment. There is also some evidence to suggest that practicing mindfulness can improve cardiovascular health. 

Mindfulness has been shown to help with smoking cessation and improved diabetes management. There are also some promising studies that indicate a connection between mindfulness practice and increased physical activity, better sleep, as well as patients being more mindful of their diet. All of these lifestyle changes—reducing stress, quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, and paying attention to what you eat—can improve cardiovascular health and thus contribute to lowering your risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

The relationship between mindfulness and heart health

Mindfulness meditation involves two main practices. A first practice involves learning to focus on a single object of attention, such as the breath (but sounds or sensations in the body also work well), and to re-direct the attention back to the chosen object when our attention slips away. A second practice involves learning to notice whatever sensation, thought, or emotion arises from moment to moment without judgement, with openness and acceptance.  With time, these practices help us to avoid being absorbed and dragged away by our habitual mental patterns and emotional reactions. 

Research done in the mid-1970s showed for the first time that when a person meditates, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system decreases (i.e., the heartbeat, respiration, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption all go down). This system is the one that activates in the so-called “fight or flight” reaction, i.e., when we face a sudden danger or stressor, and plays an important role in the onset of hypertension, heart failure, and coronary heart disease. These effects are similar to those produced by medications like beta-blockers, and could be beneficial for patients affected by cardiac disease. Indeed, a rigorous summary of existing research showed that mindfulness practice reduced systolic blood pressure by 14 mm Hg in patients with cardiac disease compared to only 5 mm Hg in controls who did not practice mindfulness. 

Can mindfulness help patients who have heart failure?

Mindfulness practice could help patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure in at least two ways. 

Cognitive impairment can happen as a result of heart failure. Cognitive impairment, in turn, makes it more difficult to remember to take medications regularly, check your weight, and in general weakens your ability to take care of yourself. Early research from our lab and others has suggested that mindfulness practice can help improve cognitive function, and thus may make it easier for patients with heart failure to take care of themselves after they are released from hospital care.

Second, mindfulness practice increases interoception, or the ability to recognize when things change inside our bodies. Feeling hunger, noticing the need to use the bathroom, or noticing that we're cold or hot are all part of interoception. It makes sense that practicing mindfulness, which is designed to help us tune into our bodies while reducing the "noise" of the world around us, would make it easier for us to notice changes in our bodies. Improving our interoception can also help us recognize when we're not feeling quite right. Experiencing shortness of breath, swollen limbs, or mild but persistent pain in the legs—all symptoms of congestive heart failure—could be noticed in earlier stages and help patients seek medical attention sooner.

The “Mind Your Heart” study, a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health currently ongoing at Lifespan hospitals, is testing these two mechanisms. In this study, patients with heart failure are randomized (that is, assigned by chance, like the flip of a coin) to mindfulness practice or to usual care. The novelty is that mindfulness training is offered over the phone, so patients do not have to go to classes but can receive the training in the comfort of their homes. 

How to practice mindfulness

There is no one way to practice mindfulness. The best way is the way that works for you—meaning a practice that fits with your lifestyle and helps you feel more "at home" in your body. Maybe a very basic five-minute mindfulness practice works for you; or there are a number of apps for your phone or tablet, or videos of meditation practices on YouTube. If you prefer group activity, check out resources in your community for meditation or mindfulness groups at the library, meeting centers, or places of worship.

There are many ways a mindfulness practice can help you improve your overall health. For more ideas on improving your health, visit the Lifespan Living blog.