1 515 113 COMPARING BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET AND YOGA ON THE RESTING METABOLIC RATE, ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPOKINE LEVELS IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE STAFF WOMEN. BACKGROUND: WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO PREVENT THE CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET ON RESTING METABOLIC RATE (RMR), ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND LEPTIN IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT WOMEN WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA PRACTICING AND ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET. EXERCISE TRIALS CONSISTED OF 60-MIN HATHA YOGA EQUAL TO 200 KILOCALORIES (KCAL) COMBINED WITH 300 KCAL RESTRICTION PER DAY, AND AN ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET CONSISTED OF 500 KCAL RESTRICTION PER DAY. THE INTERVENTION PERIOD FOR BOTH THE GROUPS WAS 8 WEEKS. RMR, ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN, AND LIPID PROFILES WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: RMR WAS INCREASED IN YOGA BUT NOT IN THE DIET GROUP (P = 0.001). THE LEVEL OF ADIPONECTIN WAS INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH THE DIET (P = 0.035). THE CONCENTRATION OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN-CHOLESTEROL WAS DECREASED IN THE DIET GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY BUT NOT IN YOGA (P = 0.006). THE LEVEL OF LEPTIN WAS DECREASED IN BOTH THE GROUPS (P = 0.001), AND THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICING ON RMR, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN, IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN. IT SEEMS YOGA PRACTICE WITH LESS ENERGY RESTRICTION COMPARED WITH A COMMON ENERGY RESTRICTION DIET AND IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS. 2020 2 50 37 A COMPARATIVE CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND WALKING FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADULTS. BACKGROUND: WALKING AND YOGA HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED FOR WEIGHT CONTROL; HOWEVER, THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDIES COMPARING THE 2 WITH RANDOMIZATION. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF 90 MINUTES/DAY FOR 15 DAYS OF SUPERVISED YOGA OR SUPERVISED WALKING ON: (I) RELATED BIOCHEMISTRY, (II) ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES, (III) BODY COMPOSITION, (IV) POSTURAL STABILITY, AND (V) BILATERAL HAND GRIP STRENGTH IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. SIXTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, OF WHOM 5 WERE OVERWEIGHT (BMI >/=25 KG/M2) AND 63 WERE OBESE (BMI >/=30 KG/M2; GROUP MEAN AGE +/-S.D., 36.4+/-11.2 YEARS; 35 FEMALES), WERE RANDOMIZED AS 2 GROUPS - (I) A YOGA GROUP AND (II) A WALKING GROUP - GIVEN THE SAME DIET. RESULTS: ALL DIFFERENCES WERE PRE-POST CHANGES WITHIN EACH GROUP. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05; REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA, POST-HOC ANALYSES) DECREASE IN: BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, LEAN MASS, BODY WATER, AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. THE YOGA GROUP INCREASED SERUM LEPTIN (P<0.01) AND DECREASED LDL CHOLESTEROL (P<0.05). THE WALKING GROUP DECREASED SERUM ADIPONECTIN (P<0.05) AND TRIGLYCERIDES (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BOTH YOGA AND WALKING IMPROVED ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES AND SERUM LIPID PROFILE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 3 1491 35 INTERLEUKIN-6, VITAMIN D & DIABETES RISK-FACTORS MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: SEVERAL DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE DEMONSTRATED A REDUCTION IN INCIDENCE OF DIABETES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PREDIABETES THROUGH WEIGHT LOSS. SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFICACIOUS IN WEIGHT LOSS. THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO INVESTIGATE IF INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6, VITAMIN D, NEOPTERIN, VASPIN, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS CAN BE MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE SUBJECTS. METHODS: IN THIS PILOT STUDY, 34 OVERWEIGHT/OBESE [BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) >/= 23 TO <35 KG/M [2] PER ASIAN CUT-OFF VALUES] INDIVIDUALS WERE ENROLLED, AND RECEIVED DIRECTLY SUPERVISED INTERVENTION FOR 10 DAYS. THEREAFTER, THEY WERE ADVISED TO FOLLOW THIS YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE AT HOME FOR ONE MONTH, AND WERE REASSESSED FOR STUDY VARIABLES AT DAY 30. RESULTS: THERE WAS A REDUCTION FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 IN WEIGHT ( P <0.001), BMI ( P <0.001), WAIST/HIP-RATIO ( P <0.05), BLOOD GLUCOSE ( P <0.01), AND A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN LIPID PROFILE. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN MEDIAN FASTING INSULIN ( P <0.05), HOMEOSTATIC MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE ( P <0.01), AND IL-6 ( PP <0.05). A NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 25-OH-VITAMIN D, AND A DECREASE IN NEOPTERIN AND VASPIN WERE OBSERVED. TWENTY SUBJECTS RETURNED FOR FOLLOW UP ASSESSMENTS. AT DAY 30, WEIGHT LOSS WAS SUSTAINED WHILE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE ALSO SHOWED REDUCTION ( P <0.05). CHANGES IN VITAMIN D LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN WEIGHT, BMI AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND POSITIVELY WITH CHANGE IN HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT AND BMI SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH INSULIN. CHANGES IN IL-6 LEVELS POSITIVELY AND SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH CHANGE IN NEOPTERIN LEVELS. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT IL-6, VITAMIN D, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS WERE FAVOURABLY MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OBESITY. THIS STUDY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE CHALLENGES IN COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOLLOW UP OF SUBJECTS FOLLOWING AN AGGRESSIVE SUPERVISED INTERVENTION OF 10 DAYS. 2015 4 1970 35 SHORT TERM HEALTH IMPACT OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM ON OBESITY. BACKGROUND: OBESE PERSONS OFTEN FIND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DIFFICULT. THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, EMPHASIZING BREATHING TECHNIQUES PRACTICED WHILE SEATED, WAS ASSESSED IN OBESE PERSONS. MATERIAL/METHODS: A SINGLE GROUP OF 47 PERSONS WERE ASSESSED ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, WITH 6 DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION BETWEEN ASSESSMENTS. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE: BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, MID-ARM CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY COMPOSITION, HAND GRIP STRENGTH, POSTURAL STABILITY, SERUM LIPID PROFILE AND FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR 5 HOURS EVERY DAY AND HAD A LOW FAT, HIGH FIBER, VEGETARIAN DIET. LAST AND FIRST DAY DATA WERE COMPARED USING A T-TEST FOR PAIRED DATA. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 6-DAY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED A DECREASE IN BMI (1.6 PERCENT), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, FAT-FREE MASS, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (7.7 PERCENT DECREASE), HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL (8.7 PERCENT DECREASE), FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS (44.2 PERCENT DECREASE) AND AN INCREASE IN POSTURAL STABILITY AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH (P<0.05, ALL COMPARISONS). CONCLUSIONS: A 6-DAY YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM DECREASED THE BMI AND THE FAT-FREE MASS. TOTAL CHOLESTEROL ALSO DECREASED DUE TO REDUCED HDL LEVELS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM WITH A CHANGE IN DIET CAN POSE CERTAIN RISKS. BENEFITS SEEN WERE BETTER POSTURAL STABILITY, GRIP STRENGTH (THOUGH A 'PRACTICE EFFECT' WAS NOT RULED OUT), REDUCED WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES AND A DECREASE IN SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. 2010 5 2691 37 YOGA IN WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITYA RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: ABDOMINAL OBESITY IS A MAJOR RISK FACTOR FOR MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND OTHER ANTHROPOMETRIC AND SELF-REPORTED VARIABLES IN WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY. METHODS: 60 WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY (WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE >/= 88 CM; BODY-MASS INDEX [BMI] >/= 25) WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED IN A 2:1 RATIO TO EITHER A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 40) OR A WAITING LIST (N = 20). THE WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WAS THE PRIMARY ENDPOINT. SECONDARY (EXPLORATORY) ENDPOINTS INCLUDED THE WAIST/HIP RATIO, BODY WEIGHT, BMI, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, BODY MUSCLE MASS PERCENTAGE, BLOOD PRESSURE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, SELF-ESTEEM, SUBJECTIVE STRESS, BODY AWARENESS, AND BODY RESPONSIVENESS, AND THE SAFETY OF THE INTERVENTION. THE PERSONS ASSESSING THE OUTCOMES WERE BLINDED TO THE GROUP TO WHICH THE PATIENTS BELONGED. RESULTS: THE PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A MEAN OF 30.2+/-9.2 (MAXIMUM, 42) HOURS OF SUPERVISED YOGA PRACTICE. THEIR ABDOMINAL CIRCUM - FERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN COMPARISON TO THE PARTICIPANTS ON THE WAITING LIST, WITH AN INTERGROUP DIFFERENCE OF -3.8 CM (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [-6.1; -1,.5]; P = 0.001). THERE WERE FURTHER, MODERATE INTERGROUP DIFFERENCES IN THE WAIST/HIP RATIO, BODY WEIGHT, BMI, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, BODY MUSCLE MASS PERCENTAGE, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, SELF-ESTEEM, SUBJECTIVE STRESS, BODY AWARENESS, AND TRUST IN BODILY SENSATIONS (ALL P<0.05). THERE WERE NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS. NONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS EMBARKED ON A LOW-CALORIE DIET WHILE PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: THE 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD MODERATELY STRONG POSITIVE EFFECTS ON ANTHROPOMETRIC AND SELF-REPORTED VARIABLES IN WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY. YOGA IS SAFE IN THIS POPULATION AND CAN BE RECOMMENDED AS A TECHNIQUE FOR COMBATING ABDOMINAL OBESITY IN WOMEN. 2016 6 982 37 EFFECTS OF CONTINUOUS YOGA ON BODY COMPOSITION IN OBESE ADOLESCENTS. OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IS A PRESSING INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONCERN, AND CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS DEMONSTRATE POOR LONG-TERM EFFICACY. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN CONTROL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, OBESITY, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS YOGA (ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND SURYA NAMASKAR YOGA) ON BODY COMPOSITION IN OVERWEIGHT PARTICIPANTS. FORTY ADOLESCENTS WITH OBESITY WERE ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY. THE STUDY WAS CONCEIVED AS A PROSPECTIVE, SINGLE-CENTER, SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS: THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 20), WHICH UNDERTOOK A CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE, AND THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 20). BODY COMPOSITION, INCLUDING BODY WEIGHT (BW), BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), BODY FAT MASS (BFM), AND MUSCLE MASS, WAS EVALUATED USING TETRAPOLAR BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE (BIA). OUR RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MEAN BMI AND BFM OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AT WEEK 8 AND WEEK 12. THE MUSCLE MASS OF THE YOGA GROUP CONTINUED TO IMPROVE AT A RATE OF 0.515 PER WEEK, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. IN CONCLUSION, A CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAD A TENDENCY TO DECREASE BMI AND BFM AND INCREASE MUSCLE MASS. THESE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE INTERVENTION EFFECTIVENESS SIMILAR TO THAT OBSERVED IN OTHER CLINICAL RESEARCH AND INDICATE THAT CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR OBESITY PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION IN ADOLESCENTS WITH OBESITY. 2021 7 410 38 BLOOD LIPIDS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA OR RESISTANCE TRAINING IN LEISURE TIME. WHAT MATTERS: TYPE OR INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY? AIM: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF YOGA AND RESISTANCE TRAININGS ON BLOOD LIPIDS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN PEOPLE WITHOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY, WHICH INCLUDED 167 SUBJECTS, WAS CONDUCTED. SUBJECTS REGULARLY PRACTICING YOGA OR RESISTANCE TRAINING NOT LESS THAN 2 TIMES A WEEK FOR A PERIOD MORE THAN ONE YEAR WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. YOGA TRAININGS WERE DEFINED AS YOGA ASANAS AND RESISTANCE TRAININGS WERE DEFINED AS ANY EXERCISE THAT CAUSES THE MUSCLES TO CONTRACT AGAINST AN EXTERNAL RESISTANCE. ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS, BLOOD LIPIDS AND GLUCOSE, URIC ACID WERE ASSESSED. WE USED INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON LONG PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO ASSESS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY TIME. SPSS 17.0 WAS USED TO PERFORM STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN "YOGA TRAINING" AND "RESISTANCE TRAINING" GROUPS IN GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SITTING TIME IN THE WHOLE GROUP. HDL-CHOLESTEROL WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN "YOGA TRAINING" COMPARED TO "RESISTANCE TRAINING" GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP (1,65+/-0,37 MMOL/L; 1,43+/-0,21 MMOL/L AND 1,34+/-0,22, PYOGA-RESISTANCE TRAINING=0,001; PYOGA-CONTROL=0,0001; PRESISTANCE TRAINING-CONTROL= P2-3=0,037). LDL CHOLESTEROL WAS THE LOWEST IN SUBJECTS THAT HAD THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. CONCLUSIONS: PEOPLE PRACTICING YOGA AND RESISTANCE TRAINING HAD MORE FAVORABLE BLOOD LIPID PROFILE AND ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS THAN CONTROL GROUP. "YOGA TRAINING" HAD MORE PRONOUNCED POSITIVE EFFECT ON HDL CHOLESTEROL. LEVEL OF LDL CHOLESTEROL WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAN WITH TYPE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2021 8 1102 39 EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AMONG HEALTHY MALE. BACKGROUND: THE STRESSFUL CONDITION MAY CAUSE OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES. AIMS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA HAS IMPACT ON THE REDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS. METHODS: FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, 95 (N = 95) HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-24 YEARS WERE INCLUDED, 35 (N = 35) VOLUNTEERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE REMAINING 60 (N = 60) VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: (A) YOGA GROUP (N = 30) AND (B) CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR 60 MIN PER DAY, 6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH NO YOGA TRAINING IN CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WERE PERFORMED IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT BASELINE, BEFORE YOGA TRAINING (0 WEEK) AND AFTER (12 WEEKS) OF THE TRAINING. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION (P < 0.001) IN THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND MALONDIALDEHYDE; SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION (P < 0.001) IN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND ASCORBIC ACID LEVELS WERE NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA (0 WEEK). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, BODY SURFACE AREA AND LEAN BODY MASS AMONG THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE DUE TO YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES BODY FAT AND OXIDATIVE STRESS. YOGA TRAINING MAY BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE OF VARIOUS DISEASES AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. 2018 9 1849 40 QUASI PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY ON EFFECT OF YOGA AMONG PREDIABETICS ON PROGRESSION OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. INTRODUCTION: PREDIABETIC PATIENTS HAVE HIGHER RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, WHICH FURTHER INCREASES THE RATE OF MORTALITY. REASON FOR THE RATE OF INCREASE MAY BE LACK OF OBSERVATION, FOLLOW-UP PROGRAMS, AND SELF-AWARENESS ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF DISEASE. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS YOGA CAN PROVE TO BE A BENEFICIAL NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTION IN PREVENTING PROGRESSION OF PREDIABETES TO TYPE 2 DIABETES. THIS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF SHORT-TERM INTERVENTION, I.E., YOGA IN PREDIABETIC PATIENTS AND USE IT AS A TOOL FOR PRIMARY PREVENTION OF DIABETES. METHODS: THIS WAS AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY AMONG ADULTS AGED 30-50 YEARS IN RUHS COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES AND ASSOCIATED RUKMANI DEVI BENI PRASAD JAIPURIA HOSPITAL IN JAIPUR CITY. THE DESIGN OF STUDY WAS QUASI PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY. A TOTAL OF 102 PREDIABETIC PATIENTS OF AGE GROUP 30-50 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM JAIPURIA HOSPITAL. THESE WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: STUDY GROUP (GROUP A, N = 51) WERE ENGAGED IN YOGA SESSION AND CONTROL GROUP (B, N = 51) NOT PERFORMED ANY YOGA SESSION. RESULTS: YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN BLOOD GLUCOSE (P < 0.001), GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN (P < 0.01), LIPID PROFILE CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.01), TRIGLYCERIDE (P < 0.01), AND LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (P < 0.01), BUT HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (P < 0.02) AND VERY LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN INCREASE (P < 0.03) BUT NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: SHORT-TERM YOGA INTERVENTION IS HELPFUL IN THE CONTROL OF GLYCEMIC PARAMETERS LIKE BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN AND LIPID PROFILE IN PREDIABETIC PATIENTS. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY INDICATES THAT A YOGA PROGRAM WOULD BE A POSSIBLE RISK REDUCTION OPTION FOR ADULTS AT HIGH RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. IN ADDITION, YOGA HOLDS PROMISE AS AN APPROACH TO REDUCING CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS AND INCREASING EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY FOR PREDIABETICS PERFORMING YOGA. 2019 10 1473 37 INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN YOUNG MALE PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA IS THOUGHT TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES, THERE ARE NO STUDIES ON INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN LONG TERM PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA. WE ASSESSED INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN LONG TERM PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA. METHODS: FIFTEEN HEALTHY, YOUNG, MALE PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA WERE COMPARED WITH 15 YOUNG, HEALTHY MALES WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA MATCHED FOR BODY-MASS INDEX. FASTING INSULIN SENSITIVITY WAS MEASURED IN THE FASTING STATE BY THE HYPERINSULINAEMIC-EUGLYCAEMIC CLAMP. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS IN THEIR ANTHROPOMETRY OR BODY COMPOSITION. HOWEVER, THE FASTING PLASMA INSULIN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP WAS ALSO MORE INSULIN SENSITIVE (YOGA 7.82 [2.29] V. CONTROL 4.86 [11.97] (MG/[KG.MIN])/(MICROU/ML), P < 0.001). WHILE THE BODY WEIGHT AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WERE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH GLUCOSE DISPOSAL RATE IN THE CONTROLS, THERE WERE NO SIMILAR CORRELATIONS IN THE YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LOW-FREQUENCY POWER AND LOWER NORMALIZED HIGH-FREQUENCY POWER. CONCLUSION: LONG TERM YOGA PRACTICE (FOR 1 YEAR OR MORE) IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND ATTENUATES THE NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY WEIGHT OR WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY. 2008 11 2075 36 THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: BIKRAM YOGA IS THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF HOT YOGA, DESPITE THE LIMITED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON ITS CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND INSULIN RESISTANCE IN YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR YOUNG (MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION, 30+/-1 YEARS) AND 18 MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER (MEAN AGE, 53+/-2 YEARS) ADULTS COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION. BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES WERE PERFORMED FOR 90 MINUTES PER SESSION, THREE TIMES PER WEEK, IN A ROOM HEATED TO 40.5 DEGREES C WITH 40%--60% RELATIVE HUMIDITY. RESULTS: BODY MASS, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE AND TRIGLYCERIDE CONCENTRATIONS DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTION IN EITHER THE YOUNG OR THE OLDER GROUP. TRUNK FLEXIBILITY, AS MEASURED BY THE SIT-AND-REACH TEST, INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS (P<0.01). TOTAL (P<0.05) AND LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (P<0.05) LEVELS, PLASMA INSULIN CONCENTRATIONS (P<0.01), AND SCORES ON THE HOMEOSTATIC MODEL OF THE ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE (P<0.01) DECREASED IN OLDER ADULTS, WHEREAS TOTAL AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATIONS WERE REDUCED IN YOUNG ADULTS (ALL P<0.05). CAROTID ARTERY COMPLIANCE (P<0.05) WAS INCREASED AND BETA-STIFFNESS INDEX DECREASED IN YOUNG (P<0.05) BUT NOT IN OLDER ADULTS. CAROTID PULSE PRESSURE DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE IN EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSION: A RELATIVELY SHORT-TERM BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVED ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN YOUNG BUT NOT OLDER ADULTS AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED INSULIN RESISTANCE INDEX IN OLDER BUT NOT YOUNG ADULTS. 2013 12 2043 24 THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF VINYASA FLOW YOGA ON VASCULAR FUNCTION, LIPID AND GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD. WHILE THE CHRONIC EFFECTS OF CERTAIN STYLES OF YOGA ON CARDIOMETABOLIC FACTORS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A SINGLE YOGA SESSION ON THESE OUTCOMES. MOREOVER, VINYASA YOGA'S POTENTIAL TO MODULATE CARDIOMETABOLIC OUTCOMES HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A VINYASA YOGA SESSION ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, WAVE REFLECTION, LIPID AND GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD IN ADULTS WITH PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THIRTY YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH A MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS OF PRACTICE EXPERIENCE WERE ENROLLED INTO THE STUDY. CAROTID-FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (CF-PWV), AUGMENTATION INDEX (AIX), LIPID PROFILE, GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCALE) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A 1 -H VINYASA YOGA SESSION. AFTER THE YOGA SESSION, PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AIX (P < 0.001), NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.05), AND NEGATIVE AFFECT (P < 0.01) COMPARED TO BASELINE. THESE RESULTS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE BOUT OF YOGA IN ALTERING WAVE REFLECTION WHILE IMPROVING MOOD AND LIPID CONCENTRATIONS IN HEALTHY ADULTS WITH A HISTORY OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2021 13 300 23 AN ASSESSMENT OF A SEQUENCE OF YOGA EXERCISES TO PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY DESCRIBES THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA SEQUENCE FOLLOWING HEMODYNAMIC AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. THIRTY-THREE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY (CONTROL = 16 AND YOGA = 17) FOR FOUR MONTHS. BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS, CARDIAC AND RESPIRATORY RATE WERE COLLECTED MONTHLY, WHILE THE BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE WAS TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE PROGRAM. TO ANALYZE THE DATA, STUDENT'S T TEST AND REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART AND RESPIRATORY RATE (P < 0.05). AS FOR THE BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS BETWEEN INITIAL VALUES AND FINAL RESPONSES GREATER THAN THE CONTROL OF FASTING GLUCOSE, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, LDL-CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES. THE ELABORATED SEQUENCE PRACTICE PROMOTED SIGNIFICANT CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC BENEFITS. THE YOGA EXERCISES PERFORMED IN THE PROPOSED SEQUENCE CONSTITUTE COMPLEMENTARY NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL CONTROL OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. 2013 14 716 42 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES ON IMMUNE RESPONSES IN EXAMINATION STRESS - A PRELIMINARY STUDY. BACKGROUND: STRESS IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED OCCURRENCE OF AUTONOMIC, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM PATHOLOGY. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM DURING MEDICAL TERM -ACADEMIC EXAMINATION AND THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON THE SAME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT ON SIXTY FIRST-YEAR MBBS STUDENTS RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP (30 EACH). THE YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES FOR 35 MINUTES DAILY IN THE PRESENCE OF TRAINED YOGA TEACHER FOR 12 WEEKS. CONTROL GROUP DID NOT UNDERGO ANY KIND OF YOGA PRACTICE OR STRESS MANAGEMENT. PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS LIKE HEART RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE MEASURED. GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF RECENT STRESS SCALE AND SPIELBERGERS STATE ANXIETY SCORE WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND DURING THE EXAMINATION. SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS, IL-4, AND IFN-GAMMA LEVELS WERE DETERMINED BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY TECHNIQUE. RESULT: IN THE YOGA GROUP, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS DURING THE EXAMINATION STRESS, WHEREAS IN THE CONTROL GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WAS OBSERVED. LIKEWISE, THE INDICATORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS SHOWED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP COMPARED WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN YOGA GROUP. DURING THE EXAMINATION, THE INCREASE IN SERUM CORTICAL AND DECREASE IN SERUM IFN-GAMMA IN YOGA GROUP WAS LESS SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01) THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.001). BOTH THE GROUPS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE IN SERUM IL-4 LEVELS, THE CHANGES BEING INSIGNIFICANT FOR THE DURATION OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: YOGA RESISTS THE AUTONOMIC CHANGES AND IMPAIRMENT OF CELLULAR IMMUNITY SEEN IN EXAMINATION STRESS. 2011 15 810 46 EFFECT OF YOGA ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. INTRODUCTION: IN VIEW OF PEOPLE EMBRACING SEDENTARY LIFE STYLE, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT BECOMING LESS, THE ROLE OF REGULAR EXERCISE ESPECIALLY 'YOGA' SEEMS TO BE A BENEFICIAL AND ECONOMICAL ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN NORMAL AND T2DM VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE CASE-CONTROL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND DIABETIC CLINIC OF A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OVER PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. THE STUDY SUBJECTS CONSISTED OF 30 MALE DIABETIC PATIENTS ATTENDING DIABETIC CLINIC AND 30 NON-DIABETIC MALE VOLUNTEERS CONSTITUTED CONTROL GROUP. THE PATIENTS IN THE AGE GROUP OF 36 TO 55 YEARS WITH T2DM OF AT LEAST ONE YEAR DURATION AND THOSE ON DIABETIC DIET AND ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY GROUP. THE AGE MATCHED HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAD COME TO JOIN YOGA TRAINING AT YOGA CENTRE WERE INCLUDED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE TRAINED BY YOGA EXPERTS AND SUBJECTED TO REGULAR PRACTICE UNDER SUPERVISION FOR SIX MONTHS. IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS FASTING (FBS) AND POST-PRANDIAL BLOOD SUGAR (PPBS) WAS ESTIMATED BEFORE, DURING (AT THREE MONTHS) AND AFTER (SIX MONTHS) YOGA TRAINING. PAIRED STUDENT T-TEST WAS USED TO ESTIMATE DIFFERENCE IN MEANS CALCULATED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA TRAINING IN A SAME GROUP. A P-VALUE OF <0.05 WAS CONSIDERED AS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGE, MEAN HEIGHT AND MEAN WEIGHT AMONG BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE. THE REDUCTION IN MEAN VALUES OF FBS AND PPBS AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT (P <0.001) IN BOTH THE GROUPS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE MEAN VALUES BEFORE AND DURING (THREE MONTHS) YOGA PRACTICE. THE REDUCTION IN THESE VALUES AT THREE MONTHS DURING YOGA WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IN T2DM GROUP WHEN COMPARED WITH MEAN VALUES BEFORE YOGA (P <0.001), BUT IT WAS INSIGNIFICANT (P<0.05) IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH T2DM. 2015 16 1030 44 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS YOGA EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NONPHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS OF IMPROVING SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. METHODS: SIXTEEN HEALTHY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AGED 54.50 +/- 2.75 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 36% BODY FAT WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 8) OR TO A "NO EXERCISE" CONTROL GROUP (N = 8). THE VARIABLES OF BODY COMPOSITION, VISCERAL FAT, SERUM ADIPONECTIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS WERE MEASURED IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 16-WEEK STUDY. RESULTS: BODY WEIGHT, PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT, LEAN BODY MASS, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND VISCERAL FAT AREA HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND ADIPONECTIN HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, BUT TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN, GLUCOSE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. SERUM ADIPONECTIN CONCENTRATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE IN THE POSTYOGA EXERCISE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES ADIPONECTIN LEVEL, SERUM LIPIDS, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA EXERCISE WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAUSED BY OBESITY IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. 2012 17 876 34 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON REACTION TIME, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WELLNESS SCORE OF PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL DIABETIC PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: YOGIC PRACTICES MAY AID IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) AND REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN THE POPULATION. THE PRESENT STUDY HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON REACTION TIME, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WELLNESS SCORE OF PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL DIABETIC PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 15 PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR TYPE 2 DM WERE RECRUITED AND REACTION TIME AND BIOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS WERE DONE BEFORE AND AFTER A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM COMPRISING OF THREE TIMES A WEEK SESSIONS FOR SIX WEEKS. A POST-INTERVENTION, RETROSPECTIVE WELLNESS QUESTIONNAIRE COMPILED BY ACYTER WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE COMPARATIVE FEELINGS OF THE PATIENTS AFTER THE THERAPY PROGRAM. RESULTS: YOGA TRAINING REDUCED AUDITORY REACTION TIME (ART) FROM RIGHT AS WELL AS LEFT HAND, THE DECREASE BEING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05) FOR ART FROM THE RIGHT HAND. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01) DECREASE IN FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AS WELL AS LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. THE DECREASE IN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND VERY LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN AND INCREASE IN HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN WAS ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). ALL THE LIPID RATIOS SHOWED DESIRABLE IMPROVEMENT WITH A DECREASE (P<0.01) OF TC/HDL AND LDL/HDL RATIOS AND INCREASE (P<0.05) IN THE HDL/LDL RATIO. DISCUSSION OR CONCLUSION: SHORTENING OF RT IMPLIES AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE INFORMATION PROCESSING AND REFLEXES AND IS THE FIRST SUCH REPORT IN DIABETIC PATIENTS. THIS HAS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IS WORTH FURTHER EXPLORATION WITH WIDER, WELL CONTROLLED, RANDOMIZED STUDIES IN THE DIABETIC POPULATION. CHANGES IN BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS MAY BE DUE TO IMPROVED INSULIN SENSITIVITY, DECLINE IN INSULIN RESISTANCE AND INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF THE PANCREATIC B CELLS TO GLUCOSE SIGNALS. YOGA IMPROVED THE 'HEART FRIENDLY' STATUS OF LIPID PROFILE IN OUR SUBJECTS AND AS OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL, THE DECREASE IN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PROFILE IS OF GREATER SIGNIFICANCE. A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF STANDARD MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS AND CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY OR INTEGRATIVE THERAPY PROGRAM. 2012 18 2072 32 THE EFFECT OF A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON BRACHIAL ARTERY REACTIVITY: DO PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS AFFECT VASCULAR TONE? BACKGROUND: CHRONIC STRESS IS ESTIMATED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR (CV) EVENTS TWO-FOLD. ALTHOUGH STRESS REDUCTION HAS BEEN LINKED TO A REDUCTION IN CV EVENTS, LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING ITS EXACT MECHANISM OF BENEFIT. HYPOTHESIS: YOGA AND MEDITATION WILL IMPROVE PARAMETERS OF ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. METHODS: WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON HEMODYNAMIC AND LABORATORY PARAMETERS AS WELL AS ON ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN A 6-WEEK PILOT STUDY. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES, HEART RATE, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), FASTING GLUCOSE, LIPIDS, HS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION (AS ASSESSED BY BRACHIAL ARTERY REACTIVITY) WERE ALL STUDIED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: A COURSE IN YOGA AND MEDITATION WAS GIVEN TO THE SUBJECTS FOR 1.5 H THREE TIMES WEEKLY FOR 6 WEEKS AND SUBJECTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS AT HOME. THIS PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY INCLUDED 33 SUBJECTS (MEAN AGE 55 +/- 11 YEARS) BOTH WITH (30%) AND WITHOUT (70%) ESTABLISHED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD). THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, AND BMI IN THE TOTAL COHORT WITH YOGA. NONE OF THE LABORATORY PARAMETERS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH YOGA. FOR THE TOTAL COHORT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ENDOTHELIAL-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WITH YOGA TRAINING AND MEDITATION COMPARED WITH BASELINE (16.7% RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT FROM 7.2-8.4%; P = 0.3). IN THE GROUP WITH CAD, ENDOTHELIAL-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IMPROVED 69% WITH YOGA TRAINING (6.38-10.78%; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: YOGA AND MEDITATION APPEAR TO IMPROVE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN SUBJECTS WITH CAD. 2006 19 748 29 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 20 771 42 EFFECT OF YOGA AND AEROBICS EXERCISE ON SLEEP QUALITY IN WOMEN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISE (RUNNING ON A TREADMILL) ON THE SLEEP QUALITY IN WOMEN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 39 DIABETIC WOMEN WERE SELECTED FROM SEMNAN CITY WITH THE MEAN AGE OF 46.85+/-3.35 YEARS, WEIGHT OF 69.79+/-17.18 KG, HEIGHT OF 155.03+/-5.00, BMI OF 29.64+/-5.00 KG/M(2) WHO HAD A BACKGROUND OF DIABETES FOR 6.46+/-2.69 YEARS. THEY WERE THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA EXERCISE (N=15), AEROBIC EXERCISE (N=13), AND CONTROL GROUP (N=11). THE EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED FOR 12 WEEKS, THREE SESSIONS PER EACH WEEK. IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE SLEEP QUALITY, THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WAS USED. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED BY NON-PARAMETRIC WILCOXON AND KRUSKAL-WALLIS TEST AT SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL OF P<0.05. RESULTS: OVERALL SCORE OF SLEEP QUALITY IMPROVED AFTER SIX (P=0.001) AND 12 (P=0.001) WEEKS OF YOGA EXERCISE. ALSO, SIGNIFICANT EFFECT WAS OBSERVED AFTER 6 WEEKS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE (P=0.039). HOWEVER, THE POSITIVE EFFECT WAS DIMINISHED TO UNDER SIGNIFICANT LEVELS AFTER 12 WEEKS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE (P=0.154). KRUSKAL-WALLIS TEST SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND AEROBIC GROUPS AFTER 12 WEEKS OF EXERCISE (P=0.002). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN CONTROL GROUPS IN ALL SITUATION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA EXERCISE IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING THE SLEEP QUALITY IN COMPARISON WITH THE SAME COURSE OF AEROBIC EXERCISE IN WOMEN SUFFERING FROM DIABETES TYPE 2. THUS, YOGA EXERCISE CAN BE SUGGESTED TO THESE PATIENTS. 2017