The heart-brain axis: A proteomics study of meditation on the cardiovascular system of Tibetan Monks
Ting Xue,
Benjamin Chiao,
Tianjiao Xu,
Han Li,
Kai Shi,
Ying Cheng,
Yuan Shi,
Xiaoli Guo,
Shanbao Tong,
Menglin Guo,
Soo Hong Chew,
Richard P. Ebstein,
Donghong Cui
Affiliations
Ting Xue
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
Benjamin Chiao
China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan 610074, China; Paris School of Technology and Business, Paris 75011, France
Tianjiao Xu
Nursing Department, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China
Han Li
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
Kai Shi
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China
Ying Cheng
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China
Yuan Shi
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
Xiaoli Guo
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Shanbao Tong
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Menglin Guo
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Soo Hong Chew
China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan 610074, China; Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, 117570, Singapore; Corresponding authors at: China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan 610074, China.
Richard P. Ebstein
China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan 610074, China; Corresponding authors at: China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan 610074, China.
Donghong Cui
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China; Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201108, China; Corresponding author at: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China.
Summary: Background: There have been mixed reports on the beneficial effects of meditation in cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is widely considered the leading cause of death worldwide. Methods: To clarify the role of meditation in modulating the heart-brain axis, we implemented an extreme phenotype strategy, i.e., Tibetan monks (BMI > 30) who practised 19.20 ± 7.82 years of meditation on average and their strictly matched non-meditative Tibetan controls. Hypothesis-free advanced proteomics strategies (Data Independent Acquisition and Targeted Parallel Reaction Monitoring) were jointly applied to systematically investigate and target the plasma proteome underlying meditation. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (Apo B) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] as the potential cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed by electrocardiogram. Findings: Obesity, hypertension, and reduced HRV is offset by long-term meditation. Notably, meditative monks have blood pressure and HRV comparable to their matched Tibetan controls. Meditative monks have a protective plasma proteome, related to decreased atherosclerosis, enhanced glycolysis, and oxygen release, that confers resilience to the development of CVD. In addition, clinical risk factors in plasma were significantly decreased in monks compared with controls, including total cholesterol, LDL-C, Apo B, and Lp(a). Interpretation: To our knowledge, this work is the first well-controlled proteomics investigation of long-term meditation, which opens up a window for individuals characterized by a sedentary lifestyle to improve their cardiovascular health with an accessible method practised for more than two millennia. Funding: See the Acknowledgements section.
