Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction: Stage 2a Randomized Controlled Trial

MB-BP customizes Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to participants with hypertension. It consists of nine 2.5-hour weekly group sessions and a 7.5-hour one-day session. Content includes education on hypertension risk factors, hypertension health effects, and specific mindfulness modules focused on awareness of BP determinants such as diet, physical activity, anti-hypertensive medication adherence, alcohol consumption, and stress reactivity. Students learn a range of mindfulness skills including body scan exercises, meditation and yoga. Homework consists of practicing skills for ≥45 min/day, 6 days/week. Participants are given a home BP monitor. Participants with uncontrolled hypertension are offered to have their physicians notified, if not already overseen for uncontrolled hypertension; those without a physician are worked with to provide access within health insurance constraints.

Control group participants receive an educational brochure from American Heart Association entitled "Understanding and Controlling Your High Blood Pressure Brochure" (product code 50-1639). Every participant is provided with a validated home blood pressure monitor (Omron, Model PB786N), that as an evidence-based approach to lower blood pressure, would be considered "enhanced usual care" at this time. All participants who have uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure \>140/90 mmHg) will be offered to have their physicians notified, if not already being overseen for uncontrolled hypertension. For participants with uncontrolled hypertension who do not have a physician, we work participants to provide access within constraints of their health insurance.