The 12-week study divided Aetna employees into a control group, a group that took mindful meditation classes and a group that took therapeutic yoga classes. Participants in the control group recorded higher stress levels than the mind-body exercise participants and also had medical costs that were $2,000 higher a year than those reporting the lowest levels of stress, according to the report.
Aetna stressed the study results are not conclusive and are instead meant to supplement conventional health treatment. However, Aetna said the findings indicate that the study should be expanded to include more volunteers.
Read the Hartford Business Journal report on Aetna’s stress test.
