Center Inaugurated at Maharishi University of Management on 11 October 99 

FAIRFIELD, IOWA--The National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) announced today that a grant of nearly $8 million has been awarded to Maharishi University of Management to establish the first research center specializing in natural preventive medicine for minorities in the U.S.

The new research institute, called the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, will be inaugurated on October 11 at the University's College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine in Fairfield. It is one of nine NIH-supported centers in the country for studying natural medicine, and the only one with specialization in minority health.

The new Center is being funded by the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). It will study the effectiveness of alternative medical approaches for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease in African Americans and other high-risk groups.

"The Center is the culmination of more than ten years of NIH- and private foundation-sponsored projects," said Robert Schneider, M.D., principal investigator and Dean of the College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine. "It is the result of national mandates which called for innovative research on the treatment and prevention of heart disease in at-risk minorities."

Previous Grants Total $10.5 Million

In the past decade, Dr. Schneider and his national team of collaborators have received prior grants totaling over $10.5 million for research on prevention-oriented natural medicine. Studies published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension have shown that high blood pressure--which afflicts over 40 million Americans--can be effectively treated using the Transcendental Meditation program, a well-known stress-reduction technique.

Other findings, published in periodicals such as the American Journal of Cardiology, Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychoneuroendocrinology, and the American Journal of Managed Care, have indicated that the Transcendental Meditation program can reduce heart disease, decrease stress hormones, promote longevity and reduce health care utilization.

According to Dr. Schneider, the initial focus of the Center will be to evaluate the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program and antioxidant herbal preparations on the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease in at-risk African Americans. However, the Center's scope will expand to include research on other serious chronic diseases, such as cancer, and will study other modalities of natural medicine and prevention-oriented health care.

Consortium of Major Medical Centers

The Center will be headquartered at Maharishi University of Management and will collaborate with four other major medical institutions, each of whom will contribute well-renowned expertise and facilities for conducting rigorous preventive medicine research. These institutions include: The University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City; Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta; and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Hector F. Myers, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at UCLA, Professor of Psychiatry at Drew University, and co-principal investigator of two research projects in Los Angeles, said, "This is an exciting, new collaborative effort--a true joint partnership--that will provide us with the opportunity to conduct rigorous research focusing on minority, high-risk populations.

" The Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention will also serve as a training center for future researchers, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and conventionally-trained physicians who will study the effectiveness of natural medicine approaches in the areas of cardiovascular disease, minority aging and prevention of chronic disease.

Recognition of Limitations of Modern Medicine

"This federal grant support is based on the recognition of the limitations of modern medicine in preventing heart disease, which despite advances remains the number one cause of death in this country," said Dr. Schneider. "The high rates of adverse side effects, skyrocketing costs and relatively low compliance associated with conventional therapies have led government agencies to support research on promising new approaches.

"We are thrilled to spearhead this pioneering research into these most encouraging areas of natural medicine and prevention," said Dr. Schneider.

For more information, contact the Office of Public Affairs at Maharishi University of Management at 515-472-1134, or visit the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention website.

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