1 833 131 EFFECT OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ELDERLY WITH GRADE-I HYPERTENSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: HYPERTENSION, ESPECIALLY IN ELDERLY IS A STRONG RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY. OXIDATIVE STRESS HAS BEEN IMPLICATED AS ONE OF THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF HYPERTENSION. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO CONTROL HYPERTENSION IN THE ELDERLY, BUT THE UNDERLYING BENEFITS OF MECHANISM IN RELATION TO OXIDATIVE STRESS REGULATION REMAINS UNCLEAR. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ELDERLY WITH GRADE-I HYPERTENSION. METHODS: AN OPEN PARALLEL-ARM RANDOMISED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT BLDE UNIVERSITY'S SHRI B.M.PATIL MEDICAL COLLEGE, HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE, INDIA ON ELDERLY MALE INDIVIDUALS WITH GRADE-I HYPERTENSION (N=57, AGE 60-80 YEARS). STUDY (YOGA) GROUP WAS ASSIGNED FOR YOGA INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUP FOR WALKING FOR ONE HOUR IN THE MORNING FOR SIX DAYS IN A WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND PHYSICAL TRAINING INSTRUCTOR RESPECTIVELY. SERUM MALONDIALDEHYDE (MDA) AS AN INDICATOR OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ANTIOXIDANTS SUCH AS SERUM SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (SOD), REDUCED GLUTATHIONE (GSH) AND VITAMIN C LEVELS WERE ESTIMATED. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE FOR THREE MONTHS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SERUM MDA LEVEL (P<0.001), AND ENHANCED ANTIOXIDANTS LEVEL SUCH AS SOD ACTIVITY (P=0.007), SERUM GSH (P=0.002) AND VITAMIN C (P=0.002). IN THE CONTROL GROUP, WE OBSERVED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SERUM MDA LEVEL (P=0.04) AND REDUCTION IN SERUM VITAMIN C LEVEL (P=0.015) WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE SOD ACTIVITY AND GSH LEVEL. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO REDUCE OXIDATIVE STRESS AND TO IMPROVE ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS. 2014 2 986 30 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA EXERCISE ON PLASMA MALONDIALDEHYDE CONCENTRATION AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN. [PURPOSE] THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA EXERCISE ON PLASMA MALONDIALDEHYDE (MDA) CONCENTRATION AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (SOD) ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN. [SUBJECTS] SUBJECTS COMPRISED 20 FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN. [METHODS] SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 10) AND A CONTROL GROUP THAT PERFORMED NO EXERCISE (N = 10). THE SUBJECTS' BODY COMPOSITION, PLASMA MALONDIALDEHYDE CONCENTRATIONS, AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ACTIVITIES WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER A 16-WEEK HATHA YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM. [RESULTS] AFTER THE 16-WEEK HATHA YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM, THE EXERCISE GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER PLASMA MDA CONCENTRATIONS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION, THE EXERCISE GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PLASMA SOD ACTIVITY THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. [CONCLUSIONS] HATHA YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE TONE AND STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND JOINT FUNCTION. OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS YOGA EXERCISE EFFECTIVELY IMPROVED BODY COMPOSITION, DECREASE PLASMA MDA CONCENTRATION, AND INCREASE PLASMA SOD ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN. 2015 3 1889 43 REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES ANTIOXIDANT STATUS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND STRESS HORMONE RELEASES IN YOUNG HEALTHY PEOPLE: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON BIO-PARAMETERS, SUCH AS OXIDATIVE STRESS, ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS, IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, AND SECRETION OF STRESS HORMONES, IN HEALTHY YOUNG PEOPLE. STUDY DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED FROM AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, WHO WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: A CONTROL (NO YOGA INTERVENTION, N=13) GROUP AND A YOGA (N=12) GROUP. YOGA PRACTICE WAS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 90 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK SPREAD OVER 12 WEEKS, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO PRACTICE DAILY AT HOME FOR 40 MINUTES WITH THE HELP OF A DVD. THE YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTED OF YOGA BODY POSES (ASANAS), EXERCISES INVOLVING AWARENESS, VOLUNTARY REGULATION OF BREATH (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATIONAL PRACTICES. WHOLE BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS HAD FASTED FOR 8 HOURS AT 0 AND 12 WEEKS. THE OXIDATIVE STRESS/ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS, IMMUNE-RELATED CYTOKINES, AND STRESS HORMONES WERE EVALUATED IN SERUM OR PLASMA. RESULTS: SERUM LEVELS OF NITRIC OXIDE, F2-ISOPROSTANE, AND LIPID PEROXIDE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED BY YOGA PRACTICE (P<0.05 OR P=0.01), WHEREAS SERUM TOTAL GLUTATHIONE (GSH) CONTENTS, ACTIVITIES OF GSH-PEROXIDASE, AND GSH-S-TRANSFERASE WERE REMARKABLY INCREASED AFTER YOGA PRACTICE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.05 OR P=0.01). YOGA PRACTICE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IMMUNE-RELATED CYTOKINES, SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN-12, AND INTERFERON-GAMMA, IN SERUM (P<0.05 OR P=0.01). YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE PLASMA LEVELS OF ADRENALIN (P<0.05) AND INCREASED PLASMA LEVELS OF SEROTONIN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REMARKABLY ATTENUATED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND IMPROVED ANTIOXIDANT LEVELS OF THE BODY. MOREOVER, YOGA BENEFICIALLY AFFECTED STRESS HORMONE RELEASES AS WELL AS PARTIALLY IMPROVED IMMUNE FUNCTION. 2015 4 1426 43 IMPROVEMENT OF GLUTATHIONE AND TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WITH YOGA. OBJECTIVE: SEVERAL STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN DECREASE OXIDATIVE STRESS. HOWEVER REPORTS ARE SCANTY REGARDING WHETHER YOGA TRAINING CAN IMPROVE THE GLUTATHIONE LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL. THIS STUDY IS DESIGNED TO APPRAISE THE ROLE OF YOGA IN MAINTAINING GLUTATHIONE (REDUCED AND OXIDIZED) LEVELS AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS. STUDY DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE INDIAN NAVY, WHO WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS--A YOGA (N = 30) GROUP AND A CONTROL (N = 21) GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP WAS TRAINED IN YOGA FOR 6 MONTHS. THE YOGA SCHEDULE CONSISTED OF PRAYERS, ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION. THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTICED ROUTINE PHYSICAL TRAINING EXERCISE FOR 6 MONTHS. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS WERE IN FASTING CONDITION BEFORE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF 6-MONTH TRAINING PERIOD. REDUCED AND OXIDIZED GLUTATHIONE, GLUTATHIONE REDUCTASE ACTIVITY AND TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS (TAS) WERE ESTIMATED. RESULTS: REDUCED GLUTATHIONE LEVEL INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAINING. GLUTATHIONE REDUCTASE ACTIVITY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05). TAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) IN THE YOGA GROUP AND DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL OF THE BODY. THE CLINICAL RELEVANCE IS THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE USED TO MAINTAIN THE ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE SYSTEM UNDER STRESSFUL CONDITIONS OF TRAINING AS OBSERVED IN THE CASE OF SOLDIERS AND ATHLETES. 2007 5 1102 44 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 6 662 42 EFFECT OF 3-MONTH YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES WITH OR WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS: A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON ANTHROPOMETRY, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLYCEMIC CONTROL, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS ON STANDARD CARE IN COMPARISON WITH STANDARD CARE ALONE. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED 123 PATIENTS STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO GROUPS WITH MICROVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS, MACROVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS, AND PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS AND ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE EITHER STANDARD CARE OR STANDARD CARE ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL YOGA FOR 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH STANDARD CARE ALONE, YOGA RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BMI, GLYCEMIC CONTROL, AND MALONDIALDEHYDE AND INCREASE IN GLUTATHIONE AND VITAMIN C. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO, BLOOD PRESSURE, VITAMIN E, OR SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE IN THE YOGA GROUP AT FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY IN REDUCING OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES. YOGA IN ADDITION TO STANDARD CARE HELPS REDUCE BMI AND IMPROVE GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS. 2011 7 2153 30 THE EFFECTS OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA ON SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN MILD HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS. AN OPEN LABEL INTERVENTION STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN ON 26 MILD HYPERTENSIVES AND 26 APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS (30-60 Y), FOR THE EFFECT OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA PRACTICE FOR TWO MONTHS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. IN THE HYPERTENSIVES, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P < 0.01), SERUM UREA (P < 0.01) AND PLASMA MDA (MALONDIALDEHYDE ADDUCTS) AS OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKER (P < 0.05). OTHER PARAMETERS; VIZ.; PLASMA LEVELS OF CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES, GLUCOSE, DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY (P > 0.1). THE PATTERN OF CHANGE IN MOST OF THE STUDY PARAMETERS WAS SUCH THAT VALUES ABOVE NORMAL RANGE WERE LOWERED BUT VALUES WITHIN NORMAL RANGE WERE UNALTERED. THE ACTION OF YOGA ON DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, MALONDIALDEHYDE ADDUCTS AND KIDNEY FUNCTION IN HYPERTENSIVES WAS OF COUNTERACTIVE NATURE AND FELT TO BE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE EFFECT OF DRUGS. 2011 8 692 42 EFFECT OF COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON OXIDATIVE STRESS AND GLYCEMIC PARAMETERS IN PREDIABETES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, BLOOD PRESSURE AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN PREDIABETES. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY NINE PREDIABETES SUBJECTS AGED 30-75 YEARS. SETTING: YOGA WAS CONDUCTED AT 4 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY DIABETES CLINICS IN MANGALORE, INDIA. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER 3-MONTH YOGA OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MALONDIALDEHYDE, GLUTATHIONE, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN E, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, PLASMA GLUCOSE, GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN, BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO AND BLOOD PRESSURE. RESULTS: YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN MALONDIALDEHYDE (P<0.001), RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. IN COMPARISON WITH THE CONTROL, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND FASTING GLUCOSE LEVELS AT FOLLOW-UP. NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO OR ANY OF THE ANTIOXIDANTS WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE HELPFUL IN CONTROL OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN PREDIABETES SUBJECTS. YOGA CAN ALSO BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCTION IN BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND FASTING GLUCOSE. EFFECT OF YOGA ON ANTIOXIDANT PARAMETERS WAS NOT EVIDENT IN THIS STUDY. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN LARGER TRIALS INVOLVING ACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. 2013 9 2290 44 THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION WITH REFERENCE TO GST GENE POLYMORPHISM. BACKGROUND: HYPERTENSION, A CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITION OF INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE, IS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC RISK FACTORS ARE KNOWN TO PREDISPOSE TO HYPERTENSION. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE ASSOCIATION OF GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE (GST) GENE POLYMORPHISM WITH OXIDATIVE STRESS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS AND THE POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY (60) HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS, BETWEEN 30 AND 60 YEARS OF AGE, WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 30 EACH. THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUBJECTED TO 50-60 MINUTES OF YOGIC PRACTICES DAILY FOR 42 DAYS, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP INCLUDED THE REMAINING 30 AGE- AND SEX-MATCHED HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS. GST GENE POLYMORPHISM WAS ANALYZED USING MULTIPLE ALLELE SPECIFIC POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS WERE ASSESSED BIOCHEMICALLY. RESULTS: ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT THOUGH MODEST REDUCTION (P<0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. MALONDIALDEHYDE WAS OBSERVED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOW (P<0.05), WHILE ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY IN THE FORM OF GST SHOWED AN INCREASING TREND AND FERRIC-REDUCING ABILITY OF PLASMA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P<0.05) IN THE SUBJECTS WHO PRACTICED YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: IN CONCLUSION, YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE AS WELL AS THE LEVELS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. 2013 10 1104 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS SHAM YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN TRE A T I N G TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. THE PRESENT STUDY PROCEEDS IN THE FIELD BY PROVIDING AN ACTIVE CONTROL. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. FORTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER YOGA (N = 20) OR SHAM YOGA (N = 20) AS A CONTROL. YOGA INCLUDED POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES, AND NONAEROBIC STRETCHING EXERCISE COMPRISED THE CONTROL. SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN MALONDIALDEHYDE, VITAMIN C, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE EVIDENT IN BOTH GROUPS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN REDUCED GLUTATHIONE COMPARED TO CONTROLS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN ANY OTHER OUTCOME VARIABLES. YOGA AND SHAM YOGA HAD IDENTICAL EFFECTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. LEVELS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IMPROVED ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP. THIS RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED BY LARGER AND SUFFICIENTLY POWERED STUDIES. 2020 11 2295 33 THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA PRACTICES IN MODIFYING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PROFILE IN MIDDLE AGED MEN AND WOMEN. AIMS OF STUDY: TO STUDY EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING, PSYCHOMOTOR PARAMETER AND MODIFYING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN MILD TO MODERATE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS. METHODS: TWENTY PATIENTS (16 MALES, 4 FEMALES) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 35 TO 55 YEARS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION UNDERWENT YOGIC PRACTICES DAILY FOR ONE HOUR FOR THREE MONTHS. BIOCHEMICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WERE STUDIED PRIOR AND FOLLOWING PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICES, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS INCLUDED, BLOOD GLUCOSE, LIPID PROFILE, CATECHOLMINES, MDA, VIT. C CHOLINESTERASE AND URINARY VMA. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION WAS DONE BY USING PERSONAL ORIENTATION INVENTORY AND SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED DECREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND DRUG SCORE MODIFYING RISK FACTORS, I.E. BLOOD GLUCOSE, CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES DECREASED OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE WAS DECREASE IN VMA CATECHOLAMINE, AND DECREASE MDA LEVEL SUGGESTIVE DECREASE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND OXIDANT STRESS. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RISK MODIFICATION FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN MILD TO MODERATE HYPERTENSION. 2002 12 716 36 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 13 1491 34 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 14 810 48 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 15 748 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 16 796 37 EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON BIOCHEMICAL, OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG SUBJECTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES IN SOUTH INDIA: RESULTS FROM THE SATYAM PROJECT. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE BIOCHEMICAL, OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG SUBJECTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. METHODS: SUBJECTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE FOR DIABETES DURING FEB 2017 TO OCT 2019 IN CHENNAI, INDIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS. GROUP1(NON-YOGA) (N = 150) WAS ADVISED ON SIMPLE PHYSICAL EXERCISES WHEREAS GROUP2(YOGA) (N = 150) WAS TRAINED AND ADVISED TO DO YOGASANAS WITH STATIC LOOSENING EXERCISES FOR 50 MIN FOR 5 DAYS IN A WEEK. BOTH THE GROUPS WERE FOLLOWED UP FOR A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS. ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL, OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND SLEEP QUALITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER FOLLOW UP. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BMI, BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, HBA1C, LIPID LEVELS, IL6, TNFALPHA AND TBARS IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO NON-YOGA GROUP. THERE WAS MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE LEVELS OF ADIPONECTIN, PTGIS AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG SUBJECTS PRACTISING YOGASANAS. CONCLUSION: REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGASANAS IMPROVED GLYCAEMIC CONTROL, OXIDATIVE STRESS, INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG SUBJECTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. HENCE, YOGASANAS CAN BE USED AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY FOR MANAGING TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2021 17 2072 42 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 18 300 24 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 19 876 41 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 20 1402 40 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/