--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Since there has been some discussion about research on TM, I'm > posting this recent press release from the University of Kentucky. > It would be hard for even the most biased observer (and we have > many on this board) not to recognize the value of this. The fact > is, uncomfortable though it may be for some, that TM works.
Speaking as one of those biased observers :-), I can tell you that I knew that this press release was written by a TM teacher within several paragraphs. There are several simple tip-offs. Referring to TM as "the Transcendental Meditation technique" is the first. No one who hasn't been schooled in the proper use of this copyrighted term would ever do that; a real researcher would have just called it "Trans- cendental Meditation." Another terminology tip-off is the repeated use of "peer-reviewed scientific journals," a term I haven't really seen much *except* in TM-written press releases. Being in a "peer- reviewed journal" doesn't insure that the study is real, only that the methodology of the study "passed muster" among a reviewing group of scientists, based on what was sub- mitted to them. As has been shown often in tobacco industry sponsored studies, it's quite possible to LIE about one's methodology to the reviewing committee, just to get it published. The *only* thing that proves a study real scientifically is having it *repeated* by other researchers, not "reviewed" by other researchers. The next tip-off is the need to assert the *superiority* of TM, not just its comparative value compared to other techniques. Again, no real researcher who wasn't specifically pushing TM would have done that. A *BIG* tip-off is the admission that the entire *purpose* of this "study" is to "rebut" a report that was less than favorable to TM. WHY would any- one *but* TMers undertake such a "study?" Pure scientists wouldn't; they wouldn't care. There is also the giveaway term "meta-analysis," which in this situation seems to mean "cherry- picking the studies *we* think are relevant, and finding some way to analyze them statist- ically to slant them towards showing that TM is superior." They even *admit* that they cherry- picked the studies: "includes only high quality studies on all available stress reduction interventions." WHO got to decide what was "high quality" and what was not, eh? Duh. The people who wanted to prove TM "best," that's who. The "statistician" who massaged this cherry- picked set of data works for MUM. 'Nuff said. Finally, even though the cherry-picking and the data massaging were clearly done at MUM by TM personnel, the study wasn't released by MUM. WHY? Again, duh. Because it would look as if it came directly from the TM movement, which of course it did. So they found someone sym- pathetic (probably a TMer) from the University of Kentucky to publish it. Don't get me wrong -- there may BE some studies of merit among the ones cherry-picked by this MUM "statistician." Some of them may even indi- cate some benefits to TM, and that's completely fine with me. But this "study" and this press release are as bogus pieces of pseudo-science as I've ever seen, and I cannot help but think that real researchers in the field will see it that way as well. My bet is that the only people who will be taken in by this "study" are those who were taken in long ago, and are trying to avoid having to admit that they *were* taken in. Hint, hint, feste. What is needed is REAL studies, done by non-TM researchers who have neither an axe to grind or a technique to sell, and whose only motivation is to find out if there is any verifiable benefit to meditation or not. Such a REAL study would not only have control groups who don't meditate, it would have other groups utilizing other forms of meditation, following exactly the same research protocols. And at the end, ALL data would be released and available to other researchers (not just cherry-picked data), and the statistical methods used would be described in detail so that other researchers could duplicate them in their own studies and see if they hold up. This is just another claim, coming from employees of an organization that has something to gain (money!) from claiming TM not only effective but superior. Only idiots would believe that the potential financial gain didn't bias their findings. > FOR RELEASE > > Transcendental Meditation More Effective in Reducing High Blood > Pressure Compared to Other Stress Reduction Programs, Study Shows > > LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2007) - People with high blood pressure may > find relief from Transcendental Meditation, according to a definitive > new meta-analysis of 107 published studies on stress reduction > programs and high blood pressure, which will be published in the > December issue of Current Hypertension Reports. > > The Transcendental Meditation technique produces a statistically > significant reduction in high blood pressure that is not found with > other forms of relaxation, meditation, biofeedback or stress management. > > The new meta-analysis reviewed randomized, controlled trials of all > stress reduction and relaxation methods in participants with high > blood pressure that have been published in peer-reviewed scientific > journals. > > Blood pressure changes for the Transcendental Meditation technique > included average reductions of 5.0 points on systolic blood pressure > and 2.8 on diastolic blood pressure, which were statistically > significant, according to the review. The other stress reduction > programs did not show significant changes in blood pressure. > > Blood pressure changes associated with Transcendental Meditation > practice were consistent with other controlled studies showing > reductions in cardiovascular risk factors, improved markers of heart > disease, and reduced mortality rates among participants in the > Transcendental Meditation program. > > The new meta-analysis was conducted by researchers at the > <http://www.mc.uky.edu/medicine/>University of Kentucky College of > Medicine and at the NIH-funded Institute of Natural Medicine and > Prevention at Maharishi University of Management. > > According to Dr. James Anderson, professor of medicine at the > University of Kentucky and co-author of the new meta-analysis, the > findings of the new review rebut a July 2007 report sponsored by the > Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the > <http://www.nccam.nih.gov/>NIH-National Center for Complementary and > Alternative Medicine, which concluded that most research on meditation > is low quality and found little evidence that any specific stress > reduction effectively lowers blood pressure. The new meta-analysis > identified all high quality meditation studies published through 2006 > and rigorously analyzed their effects, which the previous government > report failed to do. > > Anderson said the new meta-analysis includes only high quality studies > on all available stress reduction interventions. The studies on > Transcendental Meditation were conducted at five independent > universities and medical institutions, and the majority of them were > funded by competitivegrants from the <http://www.nih.gov/>National > Institutes of Health. > > "The magnitude of the changes in blood pressure with the > Transcendental Meditation technique are at least as great as the > changes found with major changes in diet or exercise that doctors > often recommend," Anderson said. "Yet the Transcendental Meditation > technique does not require changes in lifestyle. Thus many patients > with mild hypertension or prehypertension may be able to avoid the > need to take blood pressure medications—all of which have adverse side > effects. Individuals with more severe forms of hypertension may be > able to reduce the number or dosages of their BP medications under > the guidance of their doctor." > > Anderson added that long-term changes in blood pressure of this > magnitude are associated with at least a 15 percent reduction in rates > of heart attack and stroke. "This is important to everyone because > cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. > and worldwide," Anderson said. > > The study's biostatistician, Maxwell Rainforth, assistant professor of > Physiology and Health Statistics at Maharishi University of > Management, said the meta-analysis used state-of-the-art statistical > methods to review 107 published studies in the field of stress > reduction, relaxation and blood pressure. "The twenty-three separate > studies included in the final analysis met well-known criteria for > high scientific quality. That is, these studies used repeated blood > pressure measurements and participants were randomized to either a > stress reduction technique or placebo-type control for at least eight > weeks. The data we used are all published in peer-reviewed scientific > journals," Rainforth said. > > According to Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the > <http://www.mum.edu/inmp>Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention > and co-author, this rigorously conducted meta-analysis indicates that > the Transcendental Meditation program is distinctively effective > compared to other scientifically studied techniques in lowering high > blood pressure. > > "For those 100 million Americans with elevated blood pressure, here is > a scientifically documented, yet simple and easy way to lower blood > pressure without drugs and harmful side effects. In addition, related > studies show an integrated set of positive `side benefits,' such as > reduced stress, reduced heart disease levels and longer lifespan with > this technique to restore balance in the cardiovascular system, mind > and body," Schneider said. > > ### > > In striving to become a Top 20 public research institution, the > University of Kentucky is a catalyst for a new Commonwealth – a > Kentucky that is healthier, better educated, and positioned to compete > in a global and changing economy. For more information about UK's > efforts to become a Top 20 university, please go to > <http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/Top20.html>http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/Top20.html
