1 849 135 EFFECT OF YOGA ON SERUM HOMOCYSTEINE AND NITRIC OXIDE LEVELS IN ADOLESCENT WOMEN WITH AND WITHOUT DYSMENORRHEA. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE SERUM LEVELS OF HOMOCYSTEINE AND NITRIC OXIDE (NO) IN A COHORT OF WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA AND NORMAL HEALTHY CONTROLS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED IN 35 WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA AND 35 HEALTHY CONTROLS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY. SHORT-FORM MENSTRUAL DISTRESS QUESTIONNAIRES (MDQS) WERE ADMINISTERED TO ASSESS THE MENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE PROVIDED YOGA INTERVENTION, TWICE A WEEK AT 30 MINUTES/SESSION, CONSECUTIVELY FOR 8 WEEKS. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE DRAWN FROM EACH WOMAN ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. ASSESSMENTS OF MDQS AND BLOOD SAMPLES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF HOMOCYSTEINE AND NO CONCENTRATIONS WERE PERFORMED AT BASELINE AND WITHIN THE FIRST 3 DAYS OF THEIR NEXT MENSES AFTER COMPLETION OF YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 30 WOMEN FROM THE DYSMENORRHEAL GROUP AND 30 FROM THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS WERE HIGHER IN THOSE WITH DYSMENORRHEA WHEN COMPARED WITH HEALTHY CONTROLS BEFORE YOGA INTERVENTION (MANN-WHITNEY U TEST, P<0.05); HOWEVER, NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AFTER 8 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING (P<0.05). THE CONCENTRATIONS OF HOMOCYSTEINE IN BOTH THE DYSMENORRHEAL AND CONTROL GROUPS AFTER 8 WEEKS DECREASED BY 51.37% AND 46.46%, RESPECTIVELY (P<0.001). THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN NO LEVELS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. THE TOTAL SCORES ON THE MDQS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION IN THE DYSMENORRHEAL GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA INTERVENTION WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCTIONS IN SEVERITY OF DYSMENORRHEA AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN LOWERING SERUM HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS AFTER AN INTERVENTION PERIOD OF 8 WEEKS. THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS IN WOMEN BY RESTORING ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. 2013 2 2107 43 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 3 766 47 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 4 852 34 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF YOUNG WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM ON THE MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) OF NON-ATHLETE WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA (PD) AGED 18-22 YEARS. THIRTY-FOUR VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO CONTROL AND YOGA GROUPS. MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QOL WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE 12-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. THE YOGA GROUP WAS ASKED TO PRACTICE YOGA FOR 30 MIN PER DAY, TWICE A WEEK, FOR 12 WEEKS AT HOME, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF EXERCISE OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVE IN MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QOL IN THE YOGA GROUP MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. THEREFORE, THIS SPECIALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE A POSSIBLE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR PD. 2017 5 748 41 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 6 2319 47 TREATING THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS IN INDIAN WOMEN WITH AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND PERSONALITY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. DESIGN: ONE HUNDRED TWENTY PARTICIPANTS (AGES 40-55 Y) WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO STUDY ARMS, IE, YOGA AND CONTROL. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY COMPRISING SURYA NAMASKARA (SUN SALUTATION) WITH 12 POSTURES, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES), AND AVARTAN DHYAN (CYCLIC MEDITATION), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTICED A SET OF SIMPLE PHYSICAL EXERCISES UNDER SUPERVISION OF TRAINED TEACHERS FOR 8 WEEKS (1 H DAILY, 5 DAYS PER WEEK). THE ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE BY GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: OF THE THREE FACTORS OF THE GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, THE MANN-WHITNEY TEST SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05) IN THE VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P = 0.06) IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS BUT NOT IN THE SOMATIC COMPONENT. EFFECT SIZES WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP FOR ALL FACTORS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE OF DECREASE IN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE SCORES (P < 0.001, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (BETWEEN-GROUP ANALYSIS) WITH A HIGHER EFFECT SIZE IN THE YOGA GROUP (1.10) THAN THE CONTROL (0.27). ON THE EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE DECREASE IN NEUROTICISM WAS GREATER (P < 0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.43) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.21) WITH NO CHANGE IN EXTROVERSION IN EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: EIGHT WEEKS OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY DECREASES CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND NEUROTICISM IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN BETTER THAN PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 2008 7 771 48 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 8 2260 47 THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN, MENSTRUAL PATTERNS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN TWO GROUPS OF WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: THOSE WHO DID AND THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIFIC 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. METHOD: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. IT WAS CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS MEDICAL SCHOOL, CAMPINAS, SP, BRAZIL. FORTY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: AN INTERVENTION GROUP OF WOMEN WHO PRACTICED YOGA (N = 28), AND A CONTROL GROUP OF WOMEN WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA (N = 12). PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90-MIN SCHEDULED YOGA SESSIONS TWICE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. ADDITIONALLY, AN ENDOMETRIOSIS HEALTH PROFILE (EHP)-30 QUESTIONNAIRE WAS APPLIED TO EVALUATE WOMEN'S QOL AT ADMISSION AND 2 MONTHS LATER UPON COMPLETION OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. MENSTRUAL AND DAILY PAIN PATTERNS WERE EVALUATED THROUGH A DAILY CALENDAR (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE). RESULTS: THE DEGREE OF DAILY PAIN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AMONG THE WOMEN WHO PRACTICED YOGA COMPARED WITH THE NON-YOGA GROUP (P = 0.0007). THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT OF QOL IN BOTH GROUPS BETWEEN BASELINE AND THE END OF THE STUDY EVALUATION. IN RELATION TO EHP-30 DOMAINS, PAIN (P = 0.0046), IMPOTENCE (P = 0.0006), WELL-BEING (P = 0.0009), AND IMAGE (P = 0.0087) FROM THE CENTRAL QUESTIONNAIRE, AND WORK (P = 0.0027) AND TREATMENT (P = 0.0245) FROM THE MODULAR QUESTIONNAIRE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE STUDY GROUPS OVER TIME. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS REGARDING THE DIARY OF MENSTRUAL PATTERNS (P = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A REDUCTION IN LEVELS OF CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN QOL IN WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS. 2017 9 2103 43 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY LEVEL IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WITH PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP. THE POPULATION OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS WITH REGISTERED IN MALATYA AND ELAZIG COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND REGULARLY GOING TO THESE CENTERS. THE SAMPLE GROUP OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF TOTALLY 100 PATIENTS INCLUDING 50 PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 50 PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WHO WERE SPECIFIED THROUGH POWER ANALYSIS AND CHOSEN BY USING RANDOM SAMPLING METHOD FROM THIS POPULATION. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED BETWEEN APRIL 2015 AND AUGUST 2015. 'PATIENT DESCRIPTION FORM' AND 'FROGS' WERE USED TO COLLECT THE DATA. YOGA WAS APPLIED TO PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. ANY INTERVENTION WAS NOT MADE TO PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION, ARITHMETIC MEAN, STANDARD DEVIATION, CHI-SQUARE, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST, AND PAIRED T TEST WERE USED TO ASSESS THE DATA. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST SUBSCALE AND THE TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS WAS FOUND TO BE LOW. IN THE POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FROGS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE HIGHER THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM WERE FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRETEST AND POSTTEST SUBSCALE AND TOTAL MEANS SCORES OF FR0GS WAS DETERMINED TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA THAT APPLIED TO SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS IT WAS DETERMINED TO INCREASED THE LEVEL OF FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY. IT CAN BE SUGGESTED THAT YOGA SHOULD BE USED AS AN COMPLEMENTARY METHOD IN NURSING PRACTISE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT. 2016 10 1823 46 PSYCHO-BIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH ADD ON YOGA NIDRA IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MENSTRUAL DISORDERS ARE COMMON PROBLEMS AMONG WOMEN IN THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. YUGA INTERVENTIONS MAY DECREASE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: A TOTAL NUMBER OF 100 WOMEN RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AND WERE THEN RANDOMLY ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS: A) INTERVENTION RECEIVED YOGIC INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION FOR 6 MONTH, AND B) CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO YOGIC INTERVENTION AND THEY ONLY RECEIVED PRESCRIBED MEDICATION). PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PGWBI) AND HORMONAL PROFILE WERE ASSESSED AT THE TIME OF BEFORE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS ON BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: THE MEAN SCORE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, POSITIVE WELL-BEING, GENERAL HEALTH, AND VITALITY SCORES, AS WELL AS HORMONAL LEVELS, IN POSTTEST WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN INTERVENTION GROUP AS COMPARED WITH PRETEST. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY TO OVERCOME THE PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. THEREFORE, YOGIC RELAXATION TRAINING (YOGA NIDRA) COULD BE PRESCRIBED AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL DRUG THERAPY FOR MENSTRUAL DYSFUNCTION. 2016 11 998 38 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 12 961 32 EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON THE LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A NON-EQUIVALENT CONTROL GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN. FORTY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE SELECTED BY CONVENIENCE SAMPLING, WITH 20 ASSIGNED TO A YOGA NIDRA GROUP AND 20 TO A CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN BI-WEEKLY, 1-H SESSIONS OF YOGA NIDRA FOR 8 WEEKS. LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL WAS MEASURED USING A 10CM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE. SELF-ESTEEM SCORE WAS MEASURED BY ROSENBERG'S SELF-ESTEEM SCALE. RESULTS: THE YOGA NIDRA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVELS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM SCORES COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA NIDRA COULD ALLEVIATE THE LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL AND INCREASE THE SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. 2019 13 716 43 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 14 2464 43 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 15 1081 42 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SEXUAL FUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE; IT HAS A HIGH GLOBAL PREVALENCE, BUT NO EFFECTIVE AND SAFE TREATMENT OPTIONS. THE PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IS HIGHER IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. METHODS: IN THIS RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDY, 41 WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME (AGE 30-60 YEARS) WERE ASSIGNED TO A 12-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N=20) OR A WAIT-LISTED CONTROL GROUP (N=21). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY END POINTS WERE CHANGES IN TOTAL AND INDIVIDUAL DOMAIN SCORES ON THE FEMALE SEXUAL FUNCTION INDEX. RESULTS: THE 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN AROUSAL (0.74+/-1.18 VS. 0.16+/-0.82, RESPECTIVELY; P=0.042) AND LUBRICATION (0.72+/-1.12 VS. 0.06+/-0.87, RESPECTIVELY; P=0.008) COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT THE 12-WEEK FOLLOW UP (-3.5+/-13.7 VS. 2.0+/-14.7, RESPECTIVELY; P=0.040). CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME AS WELL AS FOR METABOLIC RISK FACTORS. 2013 16 459 49 CHANGES IN PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WITH IYENGAR YOGA IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK (NCLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG ADULT POPULATION AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) WITH NCLBP. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: SIXTY SUBJECTS WHO FULFILLED THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO IYENGAR YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N = 30) AND CONTROL GROUP (EXERCISE GROUP, N = 30). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED LOW BACK PAIN EVALUATION FORM AND HRQOL-4 QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THEIR INTERVENTION AND AGAIN 4 WEEKS AND 6 MONTH LATER. YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 29 YOGIC POSTURES TRAINING AND EXERCISE GROUP HAD UNDERGONE GENERAL EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR 4 WEEKS. STATISTICS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME, WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL. IN VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 72.81% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 42.50% (P = 0.001). IN HRQOL, YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 86.99% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 67.66% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA PROVIDES BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC BACK PAIN THAN GENERAL EXERCISE. 2014 17 2109 38 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND LIFE QUALITY OF ASTHMA PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. AIM: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO FIND OUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA APPLIED TO ASTHMA PATIENTS ON THE PATIENTS' RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND QUALITY OF LIFE. METHODS: THE SAMPLE OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF RANDOMLY CHOSEN 112 ASTHMA PATIENTS, 56 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 56 IN THE CONTROL GROUP, WHO MET THE RESEARCH CRITERIA AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. A TOTAL OF 12 YOGA SESSIONS, 2 SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS, WAS APPLIED TO THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THE PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION. RESULTS: IN THE INTRAGROUP COMPARISON OF AVERAGE PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SCORES OF RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND ASTHMA CONTROL TEST (ACT) AND ASTHMA QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE (AQLQ) TOTAL AND SUB-DIMENSION SCORES OF THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP, THE DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). IN ADDITION, POST-TEST SCORE AVERAGES WERE FOUND TO INCREASE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, WHILE THEY WERE FOUND TO DECREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: IT WAS FOUND THAT YOGA INFLUENCED RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND QUALITY OF LIFE POSITIVELY IN ASTHMA PATIENTS. THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER IS NCT04107415/HTTPS://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/CT2/SHOW/NCT04107415. 2020 18 697 42 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 19 1102 53 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 20 1889 48 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