Mindfulness- and meditation-based healthcare approach implications for prevention, detection, and treatment in cardiology

Abstract

The chapter opens with an account from an American physician of a meeting with a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for whom mindful awareness was central to resolving a cardiological diagnostic question, and rather more than that. After a note on the quality and level of evidence base in this area, a general introduction to mindfulness and other meditative traditions follows, including something of relevant history and cultural origins and the range of interventions that may be considered related in contemporary healthcare. The role of mindfulness- and meditation-based approaches will briefly be considered as they may be relevant for the practicing clinician and as they have been introduced into a number of medical educational settings. This leads to considering the role of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing risk factors (Yusuf et al. Lancet 364(9438):937-952, 2004), particularly behavior and lifestyle factors but also psychiatric disorders, particularly depression (Rosengren et al. Lancet 364(9438):953-962, 2004) as shown substantially to influence risk for cardiac conditions. In the context of treatment of specific cardiac disorders, studies that involve the application of mindfulness- or meditation-based approaches will be considered. As the chapter considers specific disorder contexts, there will in each case be a drawing of the evidence together by the authors into some suggestions for how mindfulness-based interventions may be relevant for clinical management.