Meditation linked to improved heart health, study finds

Survey data from more than 61,000 people points to heart benefits

Those who meditate half as likely to have coronary artery disease, survey shows (Getty )

A huge new study has linked practising meditation to lower rates of heart disease, scientists have said.

A research team looked at data on more than 61,000 survey participants. Of those, almost 6,000 (nearly 10 per cent) said they participated in some form of meditation.

The researchers found that people who said they meditated also had lower rates of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease, compared with those who did not meditate.