1 166 80 A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. METHODS: SEVENTY-NINE PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO STUDY AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE STUDY GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF INTEGRATED YOGA FOR 4 WEEKS. FINAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON 30 PATIENTS EACH OF STUDY AND CONTROL GROUP. RESULTS: THE MEAN SYSTOLIC BP DECLINED BY 7.43 +/- 5.86 MMHG IN THE STUDY GROUP AS COMPARED TO 2.50 +/- 5.21 MM HG IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P VALUE 0.002). THE MEAN DIASTOLIC BP PRIOR TO DELIVERY WAS 88.00 +/- 3.71 MMHG IN THE STUDY GROUP AND 92.20 +/- 5.02 MMHG IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.001). THE MATERNAL COMFORT IN LABOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AND THE DURATION OF LABOR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE STUDY GROUP. CONCLUSION: INTEGRATED YOGA EFFECTIVELY REDUCED SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES AND INCREASED MATERNAL COMFORT DURING LABOR IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. 2021 2 998 30 EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OF PREGNANT WOMEN. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN NORMAL PREGNANT WOMEN. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWO PREGNANT WOMEN BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF GESTATION WHO MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OBSTETRIC UNITS IN BANGALORE AND WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS OF YOGA (N = 51) AND CONTROL (N = 51). WOMEN WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND THOSE WITH ABNORMAL FETAL PARAMETERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED INTEGRATED YOGA WHILE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD ANTENATAL EXERCISES, BOTH FOR 1-H THREE TIMES A WEEK FROM 20TH TO 36TH WEEK OF GESTATION. PRE AND POST ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE USING WHOQOL-100 AND FIRO-B QUESTIONNAIRES. RESULTS: OF THE SIX DOMAINS OF WHOQOL-100, BETWEEN GROUPS ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL IN THE PHYSICAL (P = 0.001), PSYCHOLOGICAL (P < 0.001), SOCIAL (P = 0.003), AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAINS (P = 0.001). IN FIRO-B, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN 'EXPRESSED INCLUSION' (P = 0.02) AND 'WANTED CONTROL' (P = 0.009) DOMAINS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE INTEGRATED YOGA IS AN EFFICACIOUS MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND ENHANCING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 3 697 35 EFFECT OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS-REDUCTION PROGRAM AND CONSCIOUS YOGA ON LIFESTYLE, COPING STRATEGIES, AND SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. BACKGROUND: HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND INEFFECTIVE COPING STRATEGIES ARE DEEMED SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES AMONG PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THESE VARIABLES FOLLOWING INTERVENTION VIA THE MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS-REDUCTION PROGRAM (MBSRP) IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. METHOD: THIS STUDY WAS A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. THE STUDY SAMPLE, CONSISTING OF 30 PATIENTS REFERRING TO THE HYPERTENSION CLINIC OF IMAM HOSSEIN HOSPITAL IN 2013, WAS ASSIGNED EITHER TO THE INTERVENTION (RECIPIENT OF THE MBSRP AND CONSCIOUS YOGA) OR TO THE CONTROL GROUP (RECIPIENT OF YOGA TRAINING). THE INTERVENTION GROUP HAD 8 TRAINING SESSIONS OVER 8 WEEKS. LIFESTYLE AND COPING STRATEGIES AS WELL AS BLOOD PRESSURE WERE MEASURED IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEFORE INTERVENTION AND THEN IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER AND AT 2 MONTHS' FOLLOW-UP AND WERE COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT THE SAME TIME POINTS. RESULT: THE MEAN AGE OF THE PATIENTS IN THE INTERVENTION (40% WOMEN) AND CONTROL (53% WOMEN) GROUPS WAS 43.66 +/- 5.14 AND 43.13 +/- 5.04 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MEAN SCORES OF LIFESTYLE (P VALUE < 0.05), EMOTION-FOCUSED COPING STRATEGIES (P VALUE < 0.001), PROBLEM-FOCUSED COPING STRATEGIES (P VALUE < 0.001), DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P VALUE < 0.001), AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P VALUE < 0.001) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS AFTER THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: APPLYING AN INTERVENTION BASED ON THE MBSRP MAY FURTHER IMPROVE THE LIFESTYLE AND COPING STRATEGIES OF PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. 2015 4 748 23 EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESIGN: THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY ENROLLED TWO STUDY GROUPS: THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SAHAJA YOGA RESEARCH AND HEALTH CENTER (MEDITATION GROUP) AND THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE MAHATMA GANDHI MISSION HOSPITAL (CONTROL GROUP). RESEARCHERS MEASURED QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. RESULTS: SIXTY-SEVEN (67) PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION GROUP AND 62 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. AT BASELINE, THE MEDITATION GROUP HAD HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) THAN CONTROLS BUT SIMILAR ANXIETY LEVEL (P=0.74) TO CONTROLS. WITHIN-GROUP PRE- VERSUS POST-TREATMENT COMPARISONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE MEDITATION GROUP (P<0.001), WHILE IN CONTROLS, QUALITY OF LIFE DETERIORATED AND THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL WAS GREATER IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MEDITATION REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. 2012 5 174 31 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH AN ACTIVE CONTROL ON AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PREHYPERTENSION AND STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH AN ACTIVE CONTROL (NONAEROBIC EXERCISE) IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PREHYPERTENSION AND STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION. A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL WAS PERFORMED USING TWO ARMS: (1) YOGA AND (2) ACTIVE CONTROL. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE 24-HOUR DAY AND NIGHT AMBULATORY SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES. WITHIN-GROUP AND BETWEEN-GROUP ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED USING PAIRED T TESTS AND REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (TIME X GROUP), RESPECTIVELY. EIGHTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED, WITH 68 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING THE TRIAL. WITHIN-GROUP ANALYSES FOUND 24-HOUR DIASTOLIC, NIGHT DIASTOLIC, AND MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE ALL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE YOGA GROUP (-3.93, -4.7, -4.23 MM HG, RESPECTIVELY) BUT NO SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP CHANGES IN THE ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP. DIRECT COMPARISONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION WITH THE CONTROL GROUP FOUND A SINGLE BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABLE (DIASTOLIC NIGHT) TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (P=.038). THIS STUDY HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH MILD HYPERTENSION. ALTHOUGH THIS STUDY WAS NOT ADEQUATELY POWERED TO SHOW BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES, THE SIZE OF THE YOGA-INDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION APPEARS TO JUSTIFY PERFORMING A DEFINITIVE TRIAL OF THIS INTERVENTION TO TEST WHETHER IT CAN PROVIDE MEANINGFUL THERAPEUTIC VALUE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION. 2014 6 1797 46 PRENATAL YOGA: EFFECTS ON ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT PRENATAL YOGIC EXERCISES ARE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING LABOR PAIN AND IMPROVING BIRTH OUTCOMES, BY COMPARING PREGNANT WOMEN UNDERTAKING YOGA WITH A CONTROL GROUP. TRIAL DESIGN: SINGLE BLINDED, PARALLEL RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. METHODS: TWO HUNDRED PRIMIGRAVID WOMEN OF 30 WEEKS OF GESTATION ONWARD WHO MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA (PRIMIGRAVIDA, 20-35 YEARS OF AGE, GESTATIONAL AGE OF 30 WEEKS, NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF YOGA) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO STUDY (N = 100) AND CONTROL GROUPS (N = 100) BY USING THE MINIMIZED RANDOMIZATION PROGRAM VERSION 2.01. THE STUDY GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF INTEGRATED YOGA CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF 30-MIN PRACTICE SESSIONS AT THE 30TH, 32ND, 34TH, 36TH, 37TH, 38TH, AND 39TH WEEKS OF GESTATIONAL AGE. THE MATCHED CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PERFORM YOGA. THE PATIENTS WERE FOLLOWED TILL DELIVERY FOR MATERNAL COMFORT, ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN, AND BIRTH OUTCOME. ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN WAS ASSESSED BY USING NUMERICAL PAIN INTENSITY SCALE (NPIS), PAIN BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONAL SCALE (PBOS), AND MATERNAL DELIVERY COMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE. ONLY THE ASSESSORS WERE BLINDED. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO 100 EACH IN CASE AND CONTROL GROUPS. FINAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON 75 PATIENTS IN EACH GROUP AFTER EXCLUSION DUE TO DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLICATIONS, LOSS TO FOLLOW-UP. THE REQUIREMENT OF INDUCTION OF LABOR AND ANALGESICS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.044, P < 0.045). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NUMBER OF NORMAL VAGINAL DELIVERIES (P < 0.037) AND LESS CAESAREAN SECTIONS (P < 0.048), SHORTER FIRST STAGE OF LABOR (P < 0.0003) IN THE STUDY GROUP PRACTICING YOGA. THE TOLERANCE OF PAIN WAS BETTER IN THE STUDY GROUP AS SHOWN BY NPIS (P < 0.001) AND PBOS SCORES (P < 0.0001). POSTPARTUM, THE MATERNAL COMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE SHOWED HIGHER COMFORT IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.032). THE NUMBER OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.042). THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA IS A NONINVASIVE, EASY TO LEARN MIND-BODY MEDICINE AND COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH PRACTICE, EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN AND POSSIBLY IMPROVING BIRTH OUTCOME. 2018 7 2107 29 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN LEVEL IN PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN LEVELS IN FEMALE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH CONTROL GROUP AND PRETEST POST-TEST PRACTICE. THIS STUDY INCLUDED 60 VOLUNTEER FEMALE STUDENTS (30 EXPERIMENTAL AND 30 CONTROL GROUPS). THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TOOK PART IN THE YOGA PROGRAM A TOTAL OF 12 SESSIONS, ONCE PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. "PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM", "VISUAL ANALOG SKALA (VAS)" AND "DYSMENORRHEA MONITORING FORM (DMF)" WERE USED IN DATA COLLECTION PROCESS. TO MEASURE DYSMENORRHEA PAIN, THE STUDENTS WERE REQUESTED TO MARK A NUMBER BETWEEN 1 AND 10 ON THE VAS SCALE ACCORDING TO THE SEVERITY OF THEIR PAIN ON THE MENSTRUATION STARTING DATE. THE YOGA APPLICATIONS WERE USED FOR THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. THE MEAN AGE OF THE STUDENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS 20.30 +/- 0.46, WHILE THE MEAN AGE OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WAS 20.46 +/- 0.50. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PAIN LEVELS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP IN THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH MEASUREMENTS WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001). IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PAIN LEVELS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP IN THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH MEASUREMENTS WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P > 0.05). YOGA CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN REDUCING MENSTRUAL PAIN IN WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2021 8 2745 32 YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES THE BODY MASS INDEX AND BLOOD PRESSURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA, AN ANCIENT INDIAN SYSTEM OF EXERCISE AND THERAPY IS AN ART OF GOOD LIVING OR AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BODY, MIND, AND INNER SPIRIT. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN HELP TO INCREASE BLOOD FLOW TO THE BRAIN, REDUCE STRESS, HAVE A CALMING EFFECT ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND GREATLY HELP IN REDUCING HYPERTENSION. AIM: AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 1-MONTH YOGA PRACTICE ON BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), AND BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON 64 PARTICIPANTS (AGE 53.6 +/- 13.1 YEARS) (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP) WHEREAS THE RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH 26 HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (CONTROL GROUP). WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN A 1-MONTH PILOT STUDY. MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE LEARNER AND PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1 H DAILY IN THE MORNING FOR 1 MONTH. BMI AND BP (SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC) WERE STUDIED BEFORE AND AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE CAUSES DECREASED BMI (26.4 +/- 2.5-25.22 +/- 2.4), SYSTOLIC BP (136.9 +/- 22.18 MMHG TO 133 +/- 21.38 MMHG), AND DIASTOLIC BP (84.7 +/- 6.5 MMHG TO 82.34 +/- 7.6 MMHG). ON THE OTHER HAND, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN BMI AND BP OF CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS POTENTIAL TO CONTROL BMI AND BP WITHOUT TAKING ANY MEDICATION. 2017 9 412 28 BLOOD PRESSURE EFFECTS OF YOGA, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH LIFESTYLE MEASURES: RESULTS OF THE LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND BLOOD PRESSURE STUDY (LIMBS). THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (BLOOD PRESSURE EDUCATION PROGRAM [BPEP]), OR A COMBINED PROGRAM (COMBO). AMBULATORY BP WAS MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AT 12 AND 24 WEEKS. DATA ARE PRESENTED FOR ALL ENROLLED PATIENTS (N=137) AND FOR COMPLETERS ONLY (N=90). SYSTOLIC BP (SBP) AND DIASTOLIC BP (DBP) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED WITHIN ALL GROUPS AT 12 AND 24 WEEKS (P<.001) FOR ENROLLED PATIENTS AND COMPLETERS. SBP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE YOGA AND COMBO GROUPS AS COMPARED WITH THE BPEP GROUP AT 12 WEEKS IN ALL ENROLLED AND COMPLETERS. SBP DIFFERENCES WERE NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT AT 24 WEEKS BETWEEN GROUPS IN ALL ENROLLED PATIENTS; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A GREATER REDUCTION IN SBP AT 24 WEEKS IN COMPLETERS FAVORING BPEP OVER YOGA. NO DIFFERENCES IN DBP BETWEEN GROUPS OR IN BP BETWEEN THE YOGA AND COMBO GROUPS WERE PRESENT. THE AUTHORS DID NOT OBSERVE AN ADDITIVE BENEFIT FROM COMBINING YOGA WITH BPEP MEASURES. REASONS FOR THIS ARE UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME. BP LOWERING WITH YOGA, HOWEVER, WAS SIMILAR TO THAT ACHIEVED WITH LIFESTYLE MEASURES. 2016 10 1368 32 IMPACT OF A SHORT HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE YOGA'S IMPACT ON BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) AND ON STRESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION IN A PRIMARY CARE SETTING. WE CONDUCTED A MULTI-CENTRE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH FOLLOW-UP AFTER 12-WEEK INTERVENTION COMPLETION. ADULT PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO YOGA OR USUAL CARE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP PERFORMED A SHORT HOME-BASED KUNDALINI YOGA PROGRAMME 15 MIN TWICE-DAILY DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP, THE PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT STANDARDIZED BP MEASUREMENTS AND COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES ON QOL, STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. DATA OBTAINED FROM 191 PATIENTS (MEAN AGE 64.7 YEARS, S.D. 8.4) ALLOCATED TO YOGA INTERVENTION (N=96) AND CONTROL GROUP (N=95), WITH A TOTAL PROPORTION OF 52% WOMEN, SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BP FOR BOTH GROUPS (-3.8/-1.7 MM HG FOR YOGA AND -4.5/-3.0 MM HG FOR CONTROL GROUPS, RESPECTIVELY). HOWEVER, THE BP REDUCTION FOR THE YOGA GROUP WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM CONTROL. THERE WERE SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE YOGA GROUP IN SOME OF THE QOL AND DEPRESSION MEASURES (P<0.05, HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE, HADS-D) COMPARED WITH CONTROL. THE FINDINGS OF OUR STUDY, WHICH IS THE LARGEST STUDY FROM AN OECD COUNTRY (ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT) TO DATE, DO NOT SUPPORT THE SUGGESTION FROM PREVIOUS SMALLER STUDIES THAT YOGA LOWERS THE BP. FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. HOWEVER, THE YOGA PATIENTS HAD OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS. 2016 11 814 24 EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YEARS. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YRS OF AGE. PULSE RATE, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND VALSALVA RATIO WERE STUDIED IN 50 CONTROL SUBJECTS (NOT DOING ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE) AND 50 STUDY SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN PRACTICING YOGA FOR 5 YEARS. FROM THE STUDY IT WAS OBSERVED THAT SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE PULSE RATE OCCURS IN SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA (P<0.001). THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN VALUES OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BETWEEN STUDY GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP WAS ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01 AND P<0.001 RESPECTIVELY). THE SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH AGE IN THE STUDY GROUP (R1 SYSTOLIC= 0.631 AND R1 DIASTOLIC = 0.610) AS WELL AS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (R2 SYSTOLIC = 0.981 AND R2 DIASTOLIC = 0.864). THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORRELATION COEFFICIENT OF BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ALSO TESTED WITH THE USE OF Z TRANSFORMATION AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT (Z SYSTOLIC= 4.041 AND Z DIASTOLIC= 2.901). VALSALVA RATIO WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAN IN CONTROLS (P<0.001). OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA REDUCES THE AGE RELATED DETERIORATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. 2003 12 1402 36 IMPACT OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION - A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE, MATCHED FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. BACKGROUND: MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION IS NOT ALWAYS SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESPITE THIS, PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SUPPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE RELATIVELY FEW. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF TWO YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION. METHODS: ADULT PATIENTS (AGE 20-80 YEARS) WITH DIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION WERE IDENTIFIED BY AN ELECTRONIC CHART SEARCH AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN. IN TOTAL, 83 SUBJECTS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE VALUES OF 120-179/ 0.05). THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORE IN BOTH THE GROUPS, 8.6 IN YOGA AND 4.0 IN EXERCISE, WHICH WAS GREATER IN YG. ESE IMPROVED BY 19.2 IN YG (P < 0.05), WHEREAS IT IMPROVED ONLY 2.2 IN THE EXERCISE GROUP (P > 0.05). QOL IMPROVED BY 23.7 IN YG AND 3.0 IN THE EXERCISE GROUP WHICH WAS NONSIGNIFICANT IN THE EXERCISE GROUP AS COMPARED TO YG. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE ALONE AS A LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM IN IMPROVING GLYCEMIC CONTROL, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND QOL AS WELL AS ESE. 2020 19 766 29 EFFECT OF THREE YOGA POSES (COBRA, CAT AND FISH POSES) IN WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: WE HAVE EVALUATED THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA OCCURS IN 50% OF FEMALE ADOLESCENTS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE. WE HAVE ASSESSED WHETHER THREE YOGA POSES (COBRA, CAT, AND FISH POSES) ARE ABLE TO REDUCE SEVERITY AND DURATION OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. METHODS: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN ADOLESCENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA, 92 GIRL STUDENTS,18-22 YEARS OLD, WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N = 50) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N = 42). THE VISUAL ANALOG SCALE FOR PAIN WAS USED TO ASSESS INTENSITY OF PAIN AND THE PAIN DURATION WAS CALCULATED IN TERMS OF HOURS. EACH GROUP WAS EVALUATED FOR THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. AT FIRST CYCLE NO METHOD WAS PRESENTED; THE PARTICIPANTS ONLY WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS DURING THEIR MENSTRUAL. THEN THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED BY THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TO DO YOGA POSES AT LUTEAL PHASE, AND ALSO TO COMPLETE THE MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS QUESTIONNAIRE IN DURING OF MENSTRUATION. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION EXCEPT TO COMPLETE MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS QUESTIONNAIRE IN DURING OF MENSTRUATION. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PAIN INTENSITY AND PAIN DURATION IN THE POST-TESTS COMPARED WITH THE PRETEST IN YOGA GROUP (P < 0.05). THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PAIN INTENSITY AND PAIN DURATION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA REDUCED THE SEVERITY AND DURATION OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA POSES ARE SAFE AND SIMPLE TREATMENT FOR PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2011 20 2464 27 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DYSFUNCTIONAL UTERINE BLEEDING: A CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DYSFUNCTIONAL UTERINE BLEEDING (DUB) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS ENCOUNTERED IN WOMEN DURING THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE. YOGA THERAPY HAS SHOWN PROMISING BENEFITS IN SEVERAL GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS. METHODS: THIRTY WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 40 YEARS WITH PRIMARY DUB WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA (N = 15) AND A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 15). PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED A 3-MONTH YOGA MODULE AND WERE ASSESSED FOR HEMOGLOBIN VALUES, ENDOMETRIAL THICKNESS (ET), PICTORIAL BLOOD LOSS ASSESSMENT CHART (PBAC), STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) BEFORE AND AFTER A 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. RESULTS: AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS OF INTERVENTION, THE YOGA GROUP, UNLIKE THE CONTROL GROUP, REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE ANXIETY SCORES (P < 0.05) AND PERCEIVED STRESS (P < 0.05). THE PSQI SCORES INDICATED A REDUCTION IN SLEEP DISTURBANCES (P < 0.001) AND THE NEED FOR SLEEP MEDICATIONS (P < 0.01) AND HIGHER GLOBAL SCORES (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN PBAC AND ET IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA THERAPY POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE OUTCOME OF DUB BY REDUCING THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SLEEP. THIS WARRANTS LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS TO VALIDATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY. 2018