How Transcendental Meditation reduces health care costs

Ask the Doctors    Translate This Article
9 July 2011

Neurologist Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D.* answers questions about how the Transcendental Meditation technique contributes to reduced health care costs and hospitalizations. Her discussion is featured on the website Ask the Doctors.

Q: What do you see as a cure for our sick health care system? 

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary: By 2017, health care spending in the United States is projected to reach just over $4.3 trillion and comprise 20 percent of the GDP. Spiraling health care costs are threatening the health and financial well-being of individuals, institutions, and the government.

The only permanent solution to the health care crisis is to prevent disease from happening in the first place. The Transcendental Meditation technique has been shown to be the most effective wellness program for promoting health and reducing health-care utilization and medical expenses.

Q: What is the evidence that the TM technique decreases health care costs? 

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary: Research shows that people who practice Transcendental Meditation spend 11% less annually on health care than the general population.

Three hundred research studies published in the world's leading peer-reviewed medical and academic journals academic journals have shown that the Transcendental Meditation technique:

∙ reduces carotid atherosclerosis, a cause of strokes and heart attacks
∙ lowers baseline levels of cortisol, a stress hormone
∙ reduces blood pressure
∙ decreases the symptoms of angina pectoris
∙ decreases heart rate
∙ reduces respiratory rate
∙ produces a global reduction in somatic arousal, which indicates a more relaxed and balanced style of functioning
∙ reduces chronic stress
∙ increases health and longevity in the elderly

Q: What about the bad habits that ruin people's health? How does the TM technique help with that? 

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary: Research shows that the TM technique also strengthens health by decreasing habits such as tobacco, alcohol and non-prescription drug usage, which are behavioral correlates of chronic stress and result in millions of dollars in health care expenditures each year. For example, figures from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids assert that smokers cost the economy US$97.6 billion a year in lost productivity.

Click here for more about Transcendental Meditation and reduced health care costs, including related research showing reduced health care utilization, reduction in health care expenses of the elderly, and other published studies.

* Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D., graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School with Alpha Omega Alpha honors and completed her neurology residency at the University of California, San Diego. She is currently the Medical Director of Wellspring Neurology at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Dr. Chaudhary also serves on the board of directors of the Center for Neurologic Study in La Jolla, California, USA.

© Copyright 2011 American Association of Physicians Practicing the Transcendental Meditation Technique

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