High blood pressure is the leading preventable cause of heart disease. It affects 1.3 billion people. Researchers say daily meditation for 45 minutes can reduce blood pressure. They said "body and mind" goals should be adopted together with standard advice, like less salt, limiting alcohol, and regular exercise. The researchers said meditating sounds "fluffy," but evidence shows it really reduces the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system.

High blood pressure is known as a "silent killer" because we rarely see symptoms. It increases the risk of heart failure and stroke. It kills 10 million people annually. Nearly 30 percent of people worldwide have it. A researcher said we need to "take a step back and…just relax". The American Heart Association also says meditating can lower blood pressure. It says many studies show that "quieting the brain" benefits the cardiovascular system.