Effect of Meditation as an Adjunct to Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiovascular rehabilitation is a well-established standard of care that significantly reduces morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life. However, integrating behavioral interventions into physical training may offer additional benefits for autonomic regulation and emotional well-being. This randomized clinical trial aims to investigate the efficacy of adding a brief, guided mindfulness meditation session to a standard cardiovascular rehabilitation program. The study seeks to determine whether this combined intervention enhances blood pressure control, improves perceived quality of life, and increases patient adherence compared to standard rehabilitation alone. Participants newly enrolled in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service will be randomized into two groups. Both groups will undergo a standard 12-week regimen of aerobic and resistance training combined with optimized medical therapy. The intervention group will additionally receive 15 minutes of voice-guided mindfulness meditation at the end of each exercise session. Key outcome measures include blood pressure variability, quality of life scores (assessed via EQ-5D), and attendance rates.