Researchers at Brown University in the US have found that people with higher scores for dispositional mindfulness – the inherent trait of being aware of one’s present thoughts and feelings – are significantly more likely than people with low scores to have healthy glucose levels.

The study measured health indicators of 399 people, and was published in the American Journal of Health Behavior.

The results show an association and do not prove a cause – the study’s authors cautioned – but they are part of a programme led by Brown University where researchers are studying whether interventions that increase mindfulness can improve cardiovascular health.

The researchers sought to identify factors that might explain the connection they saw between higher mindfulness and healthier glucose levels. Their analysis of the data showed that obesity risk (mindful people are less likely to be obese) and sense of control (mindful people are more likely to believe they can change many of the important things in their life) both contribute to the link.

"This study demonstrated a significant association of dispositional mindfulness with glucose regulation, and provided novel evidence that obesity and sense of control may serve as potential mediators of this association," wrote the authors, led by Eric Loucks, assistant professor of epidemiology in the Brown University School of Public Health. "As mindfulness is likely a modifiable trait, this study provides preliminary evidence for a fairly novel and modifiable potential determinant of diabetes risk."