Wagner Robb Sara, Haslam Alyson, Wirth Michael D, Gay Jennifer L, Middleton Lauren, Healy Mike, Hebert James R
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA,
Complement Med Res. 2019;26(2):101-109. doi: 10.1159/000493124. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
A potential relationship between long-term meditation practice and stress reduction remains virtually unexplored. The purpose of this study was to characterize stress using salivary waking cortisol in a group of long-term meditators with training in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.
Four salivary cortisol samples were collected from meditators (n = 84) during the first hour of awakening. The waking cortisol rhythm was summarized using cortisol area under the curve (AUC) with respect to increased secretion above baseline (AUCI) and cortisol AUC above ground (above zero, AUCG); data on meditation duration and depth, perceived stress, and other covariates were collected via self-reported questionnaire.
Individuals in the highest quartile of years meditating (> 26 years) had statistically significantly elevated AUCG values (p = 0.01) as compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of years meditating (≤10 years). This relationship was more pronounced among individuals waking at or before 6: 30 a.m.
Overall, an increasing number of years of meditation practice was related to a higher waking cortisol response. These intriguing findings warrant additional exploration, as the stress response can be complex.
长期冥想练习与压力减轻之间的潜在关系几乎尚未得到探索。本研究的目的是在一组接受过基于正念减压（MBSR）计划训练的长期冥想者中，使用唾液清醒皮质醇来表征压力。
在觉醒的第一个小时内，从冥想者（n = 84）中收集四份唾液皮质醇样本。使用相对于高于基线的分泌增加的曲线下皮质醇面积（AUC）（AUCI）和高于基线（高于零，AUCG）的皮质醇AUC来总结清醒皮质醇节律；通过自我报告问卷收集关于冥想持续时间和深度、感知压力及其他协变量的数据。
与冥想年限处于最低四分位数（≤10年）的个体相比，冥想年限处于最高四分位数（> 26年）的个体的AUCG值在统计学上显著升高（p = 0.01）。这种关系在早上6:30或之前醒来的个体中更为明显。
总体而言，冥想练习年限的增加与更高的清醒皮质醇反应有关。由于压力反应可能很复杂，这些有趣的发现值得进一步探索。
