Effects of Meditation on Inflammation

Kimberly Greene
September 6, 2026

Introduction

Meditation is a mind-body practice that has been used for centuries in yogic traditions to cultivate mental stillness and regulation of emotional turbulence. Recently, meditation has become the subject of scientific investigation, with researchers examining its effects on stress physiology, immune function, and inflammatory processes. This expanding research provides an opportunity to consider meditation through both Western and Ayurvedic lenses.

Inflammation is a necessary component of the body’s response to injury, infection, and other harmful stimuli. When regulated appropriately, the inflammatory response contributes to homeostasis within the body. When inflammation becomes persistent, it may contribute to tissue dysfunction and chronic disease. Modern research utilizes inflammatory biomarkers and mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and inflammatory gene regulatory pathways such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB).

Classical Ayurvedic studies do not provide a direct equivalent to modern biomedical concepts of inflammation. However, inflammation shares qualities like heat and intensity Ayurveda traditionally attributes to Pitta dosa. Ayurveda also recognizes the correlation between mental and physical well-being. Caraka Samhita identifies anger among the factors capable of vitiating Pitta, while other literature advises restraint of anger and other turbulent thoughts.¹ Yogic teachings emphasize regulation and stilling of mental activity, which provide a classical foundation from which the relationship between meditation, mental regulation, and Pitta disturbances may be considered.

Modern research offers a complementary perspective by examining whether meditation produces a measurable change in inflammatory physiology. Clinical trials have investigated effects on inflammatory biomarkers as well as inflammatory gene expression and signaling. Although findings are not uniform across populations, studies, or biomarkers, the literature suggests that meditation may influence selected inflammatory processes, potentially in part through its effects on psychological and physiological stress regulation.

This paper reviews the effects of meditation on inflammation from both Ayurvedic and Western medical perspectives. It examines the classical Ayurvedic relationship between mental states, Pitta, and health alongside contemporary research evaluating meditation’s effects on inflammatory biomarkers and signaling pathways. Through the comparison of these distinct frameworks, the paper considers the potential role of meditation as a supportive practice for regulating inflammatory processes, without treating the Ayurvedic concept of Pitta and the biomedical concept of inflammation as equivalent.

Western Pathology of Inflammation

Inflammation is a coordinated biological response of the immune system to potentially harmful stimuli such as infection, tissue injury, or cellular damage. In its acute form, inflammation is protective and necessary for healing. Local changes in blood flow and vascular permeability allow immune cells and inflammatory mediators to reach affected tissues, producing characteristic signs such as heat, redness, swelling, and pain. Ideally, this response resolves once the initiating threat has been controlled and the tissue repair is underway. When inflammatory activity persists or becomes dysregulated, the same processes intended to protect may contribute to inappropriate cellular and tissue damage. ²

The inflammatory response is the result of multiple molecules and pathways. Of particular relevance to this paper are interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). IL-6 and TNF-α are cytokines involved in communication within the inflammatory response. IL-6 contributes to the acute phase response by stimulating production of proteins like CRP in the liver. Blood tests are often initiated to measure CRP, and elevated results can indicate systemic inflammation. An elevated level does not independently identify the cause or location of inflammation. ³ NF-κB functions as a transcription factor involved in regulating the expression of genes associated with inflammatory and immune responses. ⁴ These markers and pathways are relevant to this review as they provide measurable biological outcomes through which researchers have investigated the effects of meditation.

Acute and persistent inflammation differ not only in duration but also in their effect on the body. During an acute inflammatory response, cytokines help coordinate immune activity and promote processes intended to protect damaged or infected tissue. IL-6 can stimulate the liver to produce acute phase proteins such as CRP, causing measurable changes in circulating inflammatory markers. As the initiating stimulus resolves, inflammatory activity would normally decrease. When inflammatory signaling persists, continued immune activity may contribute to prolonged tissue injury and disruption of normal physiological function. Elevated inflammatory markers can therefore provide evidence of ongoing inflammatory activity, but their interpretation requires context. For example, an elevated CRP level indicates the presence of inflammation but does not identify its specific cause or location. ⁵ This distinction is important when evaluating research on meditation because a change in an inflammatory biomarker represents a measurable physiological response but does not independently establish that an underlying disease process has been resolved.

Inflammation is commonly associated with physical conditions like injury and illness; however, psychological stress can also influence the inflammatory process. The stress response involves communication between the brain, autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system. Psychological stress has been connected to an increase in inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 while chronic stress may contribute to a disruption in biological processes that restrain inflammatory activity.⁶ The association between psychological experience and immune function provides a biological basis for investigating practices intended to calm the response to stress.

Meditation is relevant because its potential influence on inflammation may not depend upon acting directly on an inflammatory disease; instead, it may influence earlier or pre-inflammatory processes by regulating emotional and physiological responses to stress. If changes in stress regulation influence inflammatory signaling, the effects may become biologically measurable through alterations in cytokines, inflammatory gene expression, or circulating biomarkers. This is the foundation for clinical research examining meditation as a supportive approach for inflammatory response regulation.

Ayurvedic Classification of Inflammation

Classical Ayurvedic literature does not attribute inflammation to a single disease process, nor does it equate it to the Western medical definition. Signs and symptoms are understood according to the qualities of the dosas involved and the pattern of imbalance occurring within each individual. Common manifestations of inflammation like heat, redness, burning, and irritation share qualities associated with an increase or imbalance of Pitta dosa. Because of this, inflammatory presentations involving these qualities may be considered through the lens of Pitta dominance, while recognizing that inflammation itself should not be universally classified as a Pitta disorder.

The Astanga Hrdayam describes Pitta as possessing the qualities of sasneha (slightly unctuous), tiksna (penetrating), usna (hot or heat producing), laghu (light), visra (having an unpleasant odor), sara (flowing), and drava (liquid). ⁷ Of these, usna and tiksna are especially relevant when considering inflammatory manifestations characterized by heat, burning, redness, and irritation. The fluid and spreading nature suggested by drava and sara may also contribute to the expression of Pitta disturbance, although the presence of these qualities alone is not sufficient to classify a biomedical inflammatory condition as a Pitta disorder.

Ayurveda teaches that dosic balance is influenced by qualities and activities that are similar or opposing to already present qualities. The Astanga Hrdayam states that increase occurs through similarity while decrease occurs through opposing influences.⁸ Repeated exposure to influences possessing similar qualities to Pitta may contribute to the increase of Pitta imbalance, while opposing influences may reduce that excess.

This framework becomes particularly relevant to meditation when the influence of the mind is considered. If mental and behavioral experiences can contribute to qualities that affect dosic balance, therapy can be expanded beyond substances introduced into the physical body. Practices affecting mental activity also have relevance when treated from an Ayurvedic perspective. Recognizing the classical relationship between mental states and Pitta imbalance provides insight into how meditation may be applied within this framework.

Ayurvedic Pathology

In Ayurvedic medicine it is understood that disease is a progressive process of imbalance and accumulation of dosas. These imbalances eventually develop into physical manifestations. An inflammatory presentation may demonstrate a Pitta predominance; however, individual presentation, location of disturbance, tissue and other dosa involvement must also be considered. The presence of heat and other Pitta-like qualities does not necessarily establish a complete pathology.

The Caraka Samhita describes Paittika disease of the head as having dietary and environmental causes, specifically including anger as a factor through which Pitta may become vitiated. ⁹ This indicates that mental and emotional influences may be factors contributing to Pitta disturbance. The resulting manifestations described include burning and aching, thirst, giddiness, perspiration, and a desire for cooling.¹⁰ This is not describing inflammation as it is understood in Western medicine but it demonstrates a classical principle for the present discussion: an emotional state can participate in the disturbance of a dosa and be associated with subsequent physical manifestations.

This relationship is further supported by the Caraka Samhita as it advises a wise person to restrain urges associated with greed, grief, anger, vanity, jealousy, excessive attachment, malice, and other disturbances of the mind. _¹¹ The appearance of anger is significant when discussing Pitta; one passage identifies anger among the causes capable of vitiating Pitta, while another identifies anger among the mental urges that should be regulated. Combined, these passages support the Ayurvedic understanding that management of health can include attention to mental and emotional activity rather than focusing exclusively on physical substances or symptoms.

The association between mind and dosic disturbance creates an important connection to meditation. If mental states play a role in Pitta aggravation, then practices that still the mind may have relevance when treating imbalances. Meditation is not to be looked at as a universal treatment for Pitta disorders or inflammatory diseases, but the information provides a foundation for considering mental and emotional regulation as one component of an individualized approach to Pitta-associated pathology.

Ayurvedic Management: Meditation

An Ayurvedic approach to managing Pitta disturbance involves reducing influences that contribute to aggravation of Pitta dosa while introducing opposing qualities. As previously established, the Astanga Hrdayam describes that similar influences increase while opposing influences decrease dosic imbalance.¹² Activities as well as substances may participate in this process which means management can extend beyond dietary and herbal intervention to include behavioral and mental practices. If emotional distress is contributing to Pitta aggravation, regulation of mental activity may be considered as part of a broader therapeutic approach.

Prana is one of the five subdivisions of Vata dosa and is associated with both mental and physiological functions. The Astanga Hrdayam describes Prana as located in the head and moving through the chest and throat, where it supports the mind, heart, sense organs, and intelligence, while also participating in physical functions such as inspiration. ¹³ This description is significant because the functions attributed to prana are not limited exclusively to either mental or physical activity. It provides an Ayurvedic framework in which regulation of mental activity may be considered alongside physiological function rather than as an entirely separate process. This relationship becomes particularly relevant when compared with yogic teachings that describe the activity of the mind and prana as mutually influential.

Meditation can offer one method of cultivating mental and emotional regulation. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes a mutual relationship between the activity of the mind and the movement of prana. In Chapter Four, the literature explains that restraint of prana is associated with restraint of thought, while restraint of thought is likewise associated with the restraint of prana.¹⁴ Additionally, it describes the mind becoming still where prana is suspended and prana becoming suspended where the mind is still.¹⁵ It is not mentioned that meditation is a direct treatment for inflammation or Pitta imbalances; however, a parallel can be made to understand mental stillness as a physiological and psychological practice.

The Caraka Samhita identifies anger as a factor capable of vitiating Pitta and recommends that disruptive mental urges be restrained. ¹⁶ Meditation may act as a tool to restrain those mental urges. Therefore, meditation may also have therapeutic value in a Pitta imbalance manifestation when mental or emotional instability contributes to the aggravation of Pitta dosa. The practice of meditation can therefore be understood as a means of addressing one potential source of aggravation.

How meditation is practiced must also be considered. Because similar qualities are believed to aggravate similar qualities, the intervention utilized as therapy should not duplicate the intensity it is intended to reduce. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika identifies exertion, excessive adherence to rules and an unsteady or wavering mind among the factors that interfere with yoga practice. ¹⁷ When applied to a Pitta dominant presentation, meditation practiced with rigid expectations or excessive striving could reinforce qualities associated with the imbalance rather than oppose them. An appropriate application would therefore emphasize a calm, steady, and nonjudgmental approach. In this way, meditation may be approached as a practice to reduce mental stimulation and reactivity rather than another goal to reach.

Ayurvedic teachings do not establish a dosage for meditation; therefore, duration and frequency will not be presented as a classical Ayurvedic prescription. Contemporary clinical studies provide a more appropriate basis for discussing practical application. The meditation protocols reviewed in this paper vary considerably. Research has included a three-day intensive mindfulness program, a 30-day smartphone-based meditation program, a six-week Mindful Awareness Practices intervention, and an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program.¹⁸ In the study of patients receiving hemodialysis, participants practiced meditation for thirty minutes during dialysis three times per week for eight weeks.¹⁹ Despite the differences in duration and delivery, these interventions share the use of repeated meditation practice rather than a single therapeutic exposure. The research therefore supports regular and sustained practice as a reasonable approach while also demonstrating that a universally effective duration, frequency, or method of meditation for regulating inflammation has not been established.

Therefore, meditation is best considered an adjunctive therapy within the management of Pitta dominant and associated inflammatory conditions rather than a replacement for a personalized care protocol. It may be most relevant when psychological stress or emotional instability appears as part of the individual’s dosic aggravation and imbalance.

Western Scientific Studies

Western research suggests that meditation may influence inflammatory physiology through more than one biological pathway. Findings are not consistent across inflammatory response markers, but meditation has demonstrated effects in circulating biomarkers and alterations in inflammatory gene expression and signaling. Clinical trials vary in study populations, meditation protocols, biomarkers, and follow-up periods, which contribute to further variation in the findings. Overall, the research does suggest a potential regulatory effect rather than a universal anti-inflammatory response.

One randomized controlled trial examined 35 adults experiencing the psychological stress of unemployment. Participants completed either a three-day intensive mindfulness meditation program or a relaxation training program. Four months later, researchers evaluated circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker of systemic inflammation. Mindfulness training produced changes in functional connectivity between brain regions involved in resting-state processing and executive control, and these neural changes statistically mediated improvements in IL-6 at follow-up.²⁰ The changes in brain connectivity accounted statistically for approximately 30% of the mindfulness intervention’s effect on IL-6.²¹ This study is especially relevant because it suggests a possible association with mental training and changes in inflammatory physiology.

Other research suggests that meditation may influence inflammatory activity before changes are apparent in circulating biomarkers. In a randomized controlled trial of stressed customer service employees, participants either participated in a 30-day smartphone-based mindfulness meditation program or entered a control group utilizing a digital problem-solving program. Both groups similarly reported reduced stress; however, after blood sample analysis the mindfulness group displayed reduced activity of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB transcription pathway.²² These findings suggest mindfulness training may influence regulation of inflammatory gene expression even when control groups self-report improvements in stress.

A similar effect was observed among younger breast cancer survivors participating in a six-week Mindful Awareness Practices intervention. When compared to a wait-list control group, participants receiving mindfulness training demonstrated significant reductions in perceived stress as well as reductions in pro-inflammatory gene expression and inflammatory signaling after the intervention.²³ Further analysis showed reduced activity of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB. ²⁴ This study provides additional evidence that meditation-related changes not only occur through changes in circulating inflammatory markers, but also at the level of inflammatory gene regulation.

Findings are not uniform; however, when reviewing circulating biomarkers, effects have been demonstrated. In a randomized trial of 413 healthy adults, participants received either eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction practices, aerobic exercise training, or were assigned to a control group. Researchers measured CRP, IL-6, and IP-10 before treatment, immediately afterward, and seventeen weeks later. CRP was lower within the mindfulness group at the seventeen-week follow-up, while the other inflammatory markers did not demonstrate the same results.²⁵ This outcome suggests that meditation does not produce a generalized reduction in inflammatory activity, and effects may differ depending on the biological measurements and timing of assessment.

Research involving individuals experiencing substantial chronic illness provides additional evidence. In a randomized trial of 62 patients receiving hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease, the intervention group practiced thirty minutes of meditation during dialysis three times a week for eight weeks. Compared with the control group, the experimental group experienced significant reductions over time in CRP and TNF-α, while the effect on IL-6 was not statistically significant.²⁶ The variance in results amongst biomarkers within the same participants demonstrates that the connection between meditation and inflammation is more complex than a uniform suppression of inflammatory activity.

Collectively, these studies provide evidence that meditation can influence certain aspects of inflammatory physiology. Changes have been observed in circulating inflammatory biomarkers, inflammatory gene expression, and transcriptional signaling pathways such as NF-κB. The variance in positive findings across biomarkers, populations, and assessment periods supports the conclusion that meditation may regulate inflammatory processes rather than universally reducing inflammation.

Classical Ayurvedic and Yogic texts do not describe cytokines, transcription factors, or inflammatory biomarkers, and modern findings should not be used to assign Western biomedical mechanisms directly to Pitta; however, the findings do provide an interesting point of comparison. Both Western and Ayurvedic perspectives provide evidence relating mental activity and physical processes. Classical texts describe mental states as capable of participating in dosic disturbance and highlight regulation of disturbing mental activity, while contemporary studies demonstrate that therapies focusing on mental regulation can produce measurable changes in inflammatory physiology. The connection between these two systems is not found in treating them as equivalent, but in recognizing that changes in mental activity can extend beyond our subjective experience and influence physical processes within the body.

Conclusion

The relationship between meditation and inflammation provides an opportunity to examine the connection between mental and physical processes through two systems of understanding. Classical Ayurveda does not describe inflammation according to the biomarkers and cellular mechanisms recognized by Western medicine, and inflammation should not be universally classified as a manifestation of Pitta imbalance. However, inflammatory processes characterized by qualities such as heat and burning share qualities attributed to Pitta dosa. This provides a basis for considering certain inflammatory presentations within a Pitta-dominant framework.

Classical Ayurvedic literature also presents an important relationship between mental activity and physical health. Pitta may be influenced by emotional factors such as anger, and regulation of disruptive mental states is encouraged as part of maintaining balance. Yogic teachings highlight the stilling of the mind and its relationship with prana. Considered together these principles provide a justification for the therapeutic use of meditation when mental or emotional factors contribute to Pitta aggravation. Meditation should not be considered a universal treatment for Pitta imbalances and disorders, but rather as one possible component of an individualized treatment protocol.

Contemporary scientific research provides measurable evidence that further supports the importance of the mind-body relationship. Meditation and mindfulness therapies have been associated with changes in inflammatory biomarkers including CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as changes in inflammatory gene expression and NF-κB-related signaling. These effects are not consistent across every study or biomarker, and the available evidence does not support the conclusion that meditation universally reduces inflammation. The evidence suggests that meditation may regulate selected inflammatory processes, with outcomes influenced by factors such as the populations studied, duration of mindfulness or meditative practice, baseline health, biomarker measures, and timing of assessment.

The value of examining Western contemporary findings alongside Ayurvedic classical literature is to support the correlation between mental activity and physical health. Classical teachings describing the influence of mental states on dosic balance and contemporary findings demonstrating measurable physiological changes following meditation both support continued consideration of mental regulation within approaches to health. Meditation may therefore be considered as an adjunctive therapy for Pitta associated inflammatory patterns, especially when psychological or emotional stress contributes to the presentation. Further research should be conducted to clarify which meditation and mindfulness practices and durations are most likely to produce clinically meaningful effects on inflammation.

Endnotes

1. Agnivesa, Caraka Samhita, trans. Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan Dash, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, reprint 2020), Sutrasthana 17.22-23, p. 314; Sutrasthana 7.27, p. 151.
2. Zubair, Muhammad, and Bracken Burns. “Pathology, Inflammation.” StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated August 11, 2024.
3. Radhika Gulhar, Muhammad A. Ashraf, and Ishwarlal Jialal. “Physiology, Acute Phase Reactants.” StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing, updated April 24, 2023; National Library of Medicine, “C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test,” MedlinePlus.
4. Zubair, Muhammad, and Bracken Burns. “Pathology, Inflammation.” StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated August 11, 2024.
5. Radhika Gulhar, Muhammad A. Ashraf, and Ishwarlal Jialal. “Physiology, Acute Phase Reactants.” StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing, updated April 24, 2023; National Library of Medicine, “C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test,” MedlinePlus.
6. Steptoe, Andrew, Mark Hamer, and Yoichi Chida. “The Effects of Acute Psychological Stress on Circulating Inflammatory Factors in Humans: A Review and Meta-Analysis.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 21, no.7 (2007): 901-912; Tong, Rose L., et al. “Stress Circuitry: Mechanisms Behind Nervous and Immune System Communication That Influence Behavior.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 14 (2023): 1240783.
7. Vagbhata, Astanga Hrdayam, trans. K.R. Srikantha Murthy, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, reprint 2024), Sutrasthana 1.11, p. 8.
8. Vagbhata, Astanga Hrdayam, trans. K. R. Srikantha Murthy, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, reprint 2024), Sutrasthana 1, unnumbered passage following verse 13, p. 9.
9. Agnivesa, Caraka Samhita, trans. Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan Dash, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, reprint 2020), Sutrasthana 17.22-23, p. 314.
10. Agnivesa, Caraka Samhita, trans. Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan Dash, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, reprint 2020), Sutrasthana 17.22-23, p. 314.
11. Agnivesa, Caraka Samhita, trans. Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan Dash, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, reprint 2020), Sutrasthana 7.27, p. 151.
12. Vagbhata, Astanga Hrdayam, trans. K.R. Srikantha Murthy, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, reprint 2024), Sutrasthana 1, unnumbered passage following verse 13, p. 9.
13. Vagbhata, Astanga Hrdayam, trans. K. R. Srikantha Murthy, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, reprint 2024), Sutrasthana 12.4, p. 167.
14. Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda (Munger, Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust, Golden Jubilee Edition, 2013), Chapter 4, verse 21, p. 499.
15. Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda (Munger, Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust, Golden Jubilee Edition, 2013), Chapter 4, verse 23, p. 499.
16. Agnivesa, Caraka Samhita, trans. Ram Karan Sharma and Bhagwan Dash, Vol. 1 (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, reprint 2020), Sutrasthana 17.22-23, p. 314; Sutrasthana 7.27, p. 151.
17. Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda (Munger, Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust, Golden Jubilee Edition, 2013), Chapter 1, verse 15, p. 50.
18. Creswell, J. David, et al. “Alterations in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Link Mindfulness Meditation With Reduced Interleukin-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Biological Psychiatry 80, no. 1 (2016): 53–61; Dutcher, Janine M., Steve W. Cole, Adrian C. Williams, and J. David Creswell. “Smartphone Mindfulness Meditation Training Reduces Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression in Stressed Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 103 (2022): 171–177; Bower, Julienne E., et al. “Mindfulness Meditation for Younger Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Cancer 121, no. 8 (2015): 1231–1240; Meyer, Jacob D., et al. “Differential Reduction of IP-10 and C-Reactive Protein via Aerobic Exercise or Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction Training in a Large Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 41, no. 2 (2019): 96– 106.
19. Alhawatmeh, Hossam, Ishraq Najadat, Issa Hweidi, and Sawsan Abuhammad. “The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Pro-Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Randomized Trial.” SAGE Open Medicine 12 (2024): 20503121241308995.
20. Creswell, J. David, et al. “Alterations in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Link Mindfulness Meditation with Reduced Interleukin-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Biological Psychiatry 80, no. 1 (2016): 53-61.
21. Creswell, J. David, et al. “Alterations in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Link Mindfulness Meditation with Reduced Interleukin-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Biological Psychiatry 80, no. 1 (2016): 53-61.
22. Dutcher, Janine M., Steve W. Cole, Adrian C. Williams, and J. David Creswell. “Smartphone Mindfulness Meditation Training Reduces Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression in Stressed Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 103 (2022): 171-177.
23. Bower, Julienne E., et al. “Mindfulness Meditation for Younger Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Cancer 121, no. 8 (2015): 1231-1240.
24. Bower, Julienne E., et al. “Mindfulness Meditation for Younger Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Cancer 121, no. 8 (2015): 1231-1240.
25. Meyer, Jacob D., et al. “Differential Reduction of IP-10 and C-Reactive Protein via Aerobic Exercise or Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction Training in a Large Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 41, no. 2 (2019): 96-106.
26. Alhawatmeh, Hossam, Ishraq Najadat, Issa Hweidi, and Sawsan Abuhammad. “The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Pro-Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Randomized Trial.” SAGE Open Medicine 12 (2024): 20503121241308995.

Research Article Abstracts

Study 1: Alterations in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Link Mindfulness Meditation With Reduced Interleukin-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness meditation training interventions have been shown to improve markers of health, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not known. Building on initial cross-sectional research showing that mindfulness meditation may increase default mode network (DMN) resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) with regions important in top-down executive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [dlPFC]), here we test whether mindfulness meditation training increases DMN-dlPFC rsFC and whether these rsFC alterations prospectively explain improvements in interleukin (IL)-6 in a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Stressed job-seeking unemployed community adults (n = 35) were randomized to either a 3-day intensive residential mindfulness meditation or relaxation training program. Participants completed a 5-minute resting-state scan before and after the intervention program. Participants also provided blood samples at preintervention and at 4-month follow-up, which were assayed for circulating IL-6, a biomarker of systemic inflammation.

Results: We tested for alterations in DMN rsFC using a posterior cingulate cortex seed-based analysis and found that mindfulness meditation training, and not relaxation training, increased posterior cingulate cortex rsFC with left dlPFC (p < .05, corrected). These pretraining to posttraining alterations in posterior cingulate cortex-dlPFC rsFC statistically mediated mindfulness meditation training improvements in IL-6 at 4-month follow-up. Specifically, these alterations in rsFC statistically explained 30% of the overall mindfulness meditation training effects on IL-6 at follow-up.

Conclusions: These findings provide the first evidence that mindfulness meditation training functionally couples the DMN with a region known to be important in top-down executive control at rest (left dlPFC), which, in turn, is associated with improvements in a marker of inflammatory disease risk.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01628809.

Keywords: Functional connectivity; IL-6; Mindfulness meditation; Stress;
Unemployment; fMRI.

Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved.

Study 2: Smartphone mindfulness meditation training reduces Pro-inflammatory gene expression in stressed adults: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation training has been shown to be an effective stress reduction strategy, but less is known about its immunoregulatory impact. In a randomized controlled trial of stressed customer service workers, the present study tested whether a 30-day smartphone-based mindfulness meditation training program (compared to a problem-solving control program) would affect pro-inflammatory gene expression. Both interventions led to reductions in stress levels, but there was no difference in stress reduction between conditions. Consistent with predictions, mindfulness training reduced activity of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB transcription control pathway compared to the active control. These results suggest that mindfulness training may be a particularly effective method for improving immune cell gene expression in stressful work environments.

Keywords: Inflammatory gene expression; Mindfulness; Randomized controlled trial; Stress.

Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study 3: Mindfulness meditation for younger breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer are at risk for psychological and behavioral disturbances after cancer treatment. Targeted interventions are needed to address the needs of this vulnerable group.

Methods: This randomized trial provided the first evaluation of a brief, mindfulness-based intervention for younger breast cancer survivors designed to reduce stress, depression, and inflammatory activity. Women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer at or before age 50 who had completed cancer treatment were randomly assigned to a 6-week Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) intervention group (n = 39) or to a wait-list control group (n = 32). Participants completed questionnaires before and after the intervention to assess stress and depressive symptoms (primary outcomes) as well as physical symptoms, cancer-related distress, and positive outcomes. Blood samples were collected to examine genomic and circulating markers of inflammation. Participants also completed questionnaires at a 3-month follow-up assessment.

Results: In linear mixed models, the MAPS intervention led to significant reductions in perceived stress (P = .004) and marginal reductions in depressive symptoms (P = .094), as well as significant reductions in proinflammatory gene expression (P = .009) and inflammatory signaling (P = .001) at postintervention. Improvements in secondary outcomes included reduced fatigue, sleep disturbance, and vasomotor symptoms and increased peace and meaning and positive affect (P < .05 for all). Intervention effects on psychological and behavioral measures were not maintained at the 3-month follow-up assessment, although reductions in cancer-related distress were observed at that assessment.

Conclusions: A brief, mindfulness-based intervention demonstrated preliminary short-term efficacy in reducing stress, behavioral symptoms, and proinflammatory signaling in younger breast cancer survivors.

Keywords: breast cancer; inflammation; mindfulness; premenopausal; stress.

© 2014 American Cancer Society.

Study 4: Differential Reduction of IP-10 and C-Reactive Protein via Aerobic Exercise or Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction Training in a Large Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Exercise and meditation improve health and well-being, potentially through decreasing systemic inflammation. In this study, healthy adults (N = 413) were randomized to 8 weeks of training in aerobic exercise, matched mindfulness-based stress reduction, or wait-list control. Three inflammation-related biomarkers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10) were assessed preintervention, directly postintervention, and 17 weeks later. Within-group analyses found that exercise participants had decreased serum interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 postintervention and 17 weeks later, whereas C-reactive protein was lower in mindfulness-based stress-reduction participants 17 weeks postintervention only. Self reported physical activity or amount of meditation practice did not predict biomarker changes. This study suggests that (a) training in aerobic exercise can lower interferon gamma-inducible protein-10, a chemokine associated with interferon activity and illness, and (b) training in mindfulness meditation may have a delayed effect on C-reactive protein, an important inflammatory biomarker. The findings highlight the likelihood of multiple, distinct pathways underlying the health-promoting effects of these lifestyle interventions.

Keywords: inflammation; intervention; meditation; physical activity.

Study 5: The impact of mindfulness meditation on pro-inflammatory biomarkers in patients with end-stage renal disease: A randomized trial

Abstract

Background and aim: Mindfulness meditation has been inadequately used in patients with end-stage renal disease although it has been effective in reducing pro-inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic illnesses. Thus, this study examined mindfulness meditation effect on pro-inflammatory biomarkers and C-reactive protein in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Materials and methods: Repeated measures, randomized, control experimental design was used. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample from a hospital located in northern Jordan. The participants were randomly distributed into experimental (n = 31) and control (n = 31) groups. During hemodialysis sessions, the group of experiment participants practiced 30 min of the Attentional behavioral cognitive theory version of mindfulness meditation; 3 times a week for 8 weeks). The inflammatory biomarkers including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukine-6 were measured by collecting peripheral blood through venipuncture. These biomarkers were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol after 5 weeks of the intervention, and at its end (8 weeks). An Excel sheet was used to collect data for participants.

Results: Compared to the control condition, mindfulness meditation led to statistically significant reductions in C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor over time but a nonsignificant effect on interleukine-6.

Conclusion: Study’s results support the evidence-based practice recommendation of adding mindfulness meditation as a complementary treatment to the nurse’s care plans for patients with end-stage renal disease.

Trial registration: Clinical trial.gov; ID: NCT06064708; Date: 09/26/2023.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Mindfulness; end-stage renal disease; interleukin-6; tumor necrosis factor- α.

© The Author(s) 2024.