"60 • Having an open attitude. During meditation this means letting distractions come and go naturally without judging them. How can meditation affect my health? It is not fully known what changes occur in the body during meditation; whether they influence h ealth; and, if so, how. Research is under way to find out more about meditation's effects, how it works, and diseases and conditions for which it may be most helpful. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the federal gov ernment's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some recent NCCAM - supported studies have been investigating meditation for relieving stress in caregivers for elderly patients with dementia and for relieving as thma symptoms. Is meditation right for me? Meditation is considered to be safe for healthy people, but if you are thinking about using meditation practices to prevent asthma attacks, to control high blood pressure, to reduce arthritis pain, or for any ot her medical reason, be smart. Section"