1 939 176 EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS PRACTICE OF YOGA ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN MALES WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES RECEIVING ORAL ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS PRACTICE OF A STRUCTURED YOGA MODULE ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND CARDIOMETABOLIC RISKS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2D) RECEIVING SIMILAR KIND OF ORAL ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS (OAD) WITH YOGA THERAPY AND WITHOUT YOGA THERAPY, MATCHED FOR ALL THE KNOWN CONFOUNDERS. DESIGN: PARALLEL DESIGN INTERVENTIONAL (RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL) STUDY. SUBJECTS: EIGHTY TREATMENT-NAIVE MALES WITH T2D WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL GROUP (N = 40) AND STUDY GROUP (N = 40). INTERVENTION: STUDY GROUP PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A STRUCTURED YOGA THERAPY THAT INCLUDED ASANA AND PRANAYAMA PRACTICE FOR 12 WEEKS IN ADDITION TO OAD, WHEREAS CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED OAD ALONE. OUTCOME MEASURES: BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION, BP PARAMETERS, RATE PRESSURE PRODUCT (RPP) AS THE MARKER OF MYOCARDIAL STRESS, TOTAL POWER (TP) OF HRV, LOW-FREQUENCY TO HIGH-FREQUENCY (LF-HF) RATIO OF HRV, HOMEOSTATIC MODEL OF INSULIN RESISTANCE (HOMA-IR), LIPID PROFILE AND LIPID RISK FACTORS, MALONDIALDEHYDE (MDA), AND HIGH-SENSITIVE C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (HSCRP) WERE MEASURED. TP OF HRV WAS DEFINED AS THE PRIMARY OUTCOME. ASSOCIATION OF TP (THE MARKER OF HRV) AND LF-HF RATIO (THE MARKER OF SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE) WITH CARDIOMETABOLIC PARAMETERS WAS ASSESSED BY CORRELATION AND REGRESSION ANALYSES. RESULTS: AFTER 12 WEEKS YOGA THERAPY, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CARDIOMETABOLIC RISKS (TP OF HRV, RPP, LIPID RISKS FACTORS, LEVELS OF MDA, AND HSCRP) IN STUDY GROUP SUBJECTS COMPARED WITH CONTROL SUBJECTS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE YOGA THERAPY. ALL CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH TP IN STUDY GROUP, HAVING MAXIMUM SIGNIFICANCE WITH HOMEOSTATIC MODEL OF INSULIN SECRETION (R = 0.502, 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 11 1637 35 MODULATION OF CARDIAC AUTONOMIC BALANCE WITH ADJUVANT YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA REGULATES BODY PHYSIOLOGY THROUGH CONTROL OF POSTURE, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION. EFFECTS OF YOGA ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY, AS QUANTIFIED BY STANDARDIZED AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS (AFTS), WERE DETERMINED. THE YOGA GROUP (N=18) RECEIVED SUPERVISED TRAINING IN YOGA, AND THE EXERCISE GROUP (N=16) PRACTICED SIMPLE ROUTINE EXERCISES. AFTS WERE REPEATED AFTER 10 WEEKS OF DAILY SESSIONS. DATA WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (N=142). THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PARASYMPATHETIC PARAMETERS AND A DECREASE IN SEIZURE FREQUENCY SCORES. THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE PARAMETERS IN EITHER GROUP. TWO PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ACHIEVED NORMAL AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AT THE END OF 10 WEEKS OF THERAPY, WHEREAS THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN THE EXERCISE GROUP. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY. 2008 12 876 61 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 13 2072 53 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 14 2745 43 YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES THE BODY MASS INDEX AND BLOOD PRESSURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA, AN ANCIENT INDIAN SYSTEM OF EXERCISE AND THERAPY IS AN ART OF GOOD LIVING OR AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BODY, MIND, AND INNER SPIRIT. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN HELP TO INCREASE BLOOD FLOW TO THE BRAIN, REDUCE STRESS, HAVE A CALMING EFFECT ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND GREATLY HELP IN REDUCING HYPERTENSION. AIM: AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 1-MONTH YOGA PRACTICE ON BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), AND BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON 64 PARTICIPANTS (AGE 53.6 +/- 13.1 YEARS) (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP) WHEREAS THE RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH 26 HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (CONTROL GROUP). WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN A 1-MONTH PILOT STUDY. MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE LEARNER AND PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1 H DAILY IN THE MORNING FOR 1 MONTH. BMI AND BP (SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC) WERE STUDIED BEFORE AND AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE CAUSES DECREASED BMI (26.4 +/- 2.5-25.22 +/- 2.4), SYSTOLIC BP (136.9 +/- 22.18 MMHG TO 133 +/- 21.38 MMHG), AND DIASTOLIC BP (84.7 +/- 6.5 MMHG TO 82.34 +/- 7.6 MMHG). ON THE OTHER HAND, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN BMI AND BP OF CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS POTENTIAL TO CONTROL BMI AND BP WITHOUT TAKING ANY MEDICATION. 2017 15 2775 55 YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING IMPROVES RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: SINCE AGEING IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECLINE IN PULMONARY FUNCTION, HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX, AND RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, WE HYPOTHESISED THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC MODULATION IN HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. DESIGN: 76 HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS WERE ENROLLED IN A RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL IN BRAZIL AND 29 COMPLETED THE STUDY (AGE 68 +/- 6 YEARS, 34% MALES, BODY MASS INDEX 25 +/- 3 KG/M(2)). SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMISED INTO A 4-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM (2 CLASSES/WEEK PLUS HOME EXERCISES) OF EITHER STRETCHING (CONTROL, N=14) OR RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (YOGA, N=15). YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (BHASTRIKA) CONSISTED OF RAPID FORCED EXPIRATIONS FOLLOWED BY INSPIRATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, INSPIRATORY APNOEA WITH GENERATION OF INTRATHORACIC NEGATIVE PRESSURE, AND EXPIRATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL. PULMONARY FUNCTION, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY AND INSPIRATORY PRESSURES (PE(MAX) AND PI(MAX), RESPECTIVELY), HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY FOR SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DETERMINATION WERE DETERMINED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 4 MONTHS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS IN BOTH GROUPS HAD SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS. PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES DID NOT CHANGE AFTER 4 MONTHS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PE(MAX) (34%, P<0.0001) AND PI(MAX) (26%, P<0.0001) AND A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE LOW FREQUENCY COMPONENT (A MARKER OF CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC MODULATION) AND LOW FREQUENCY/HIGH FREQUENCY RATIO (MARKER OF SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE) OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY (40%, P<0.001). SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DID NOT CHANGE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE ONLY MARGINALLY INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ELDERLY HEALTHY POPULATION BY IMPROVING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE. TRIAL REGISTRATION CINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00969345; TRIAL REGISTRY NAME: EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING (BHASTRIKA) ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BAROREFLEX, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. 2011 16 716 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 17 871 63 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. BACKGROUND: RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS AN IMMUNE-MEDIATED INFLAMMATORY DISEASE. ANTIRHEUMATOID TREATMENT REDUCES DISEASE ACTIVITY AND INFLAMMATION, BUT NOT ALL PATIENTS RESPOND TO TREATMENT. AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IS COMMON IN RA LEADING TO FREQUENT CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS. YOGA THERAPY MAY BE USEFUL IN THESE PATIENTS, BUT THERE ARE LITTLE DATA ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE EFFECT OF 12-WEEK YOGA THERAPY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, AND HRV IN PATIENTS WITH RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED ON NEWLY DIAGNOSED RA PATIENTS ATTENDING OUTPATIENT SERVICES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, JIPMER. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: THE CONTROL GROUP (CG) (N = 83) AND YOGA GROUP (YG) (N = 83). YOGA THERAPY WAS ADMINISTERED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE YG FOR 12 WEEKS, ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE CG RECEIVED ONLY STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE 28, INTERLEUKIN-1ALPHA (IL-1ALPHA), IL-6, TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), CORTISOL, AND HRV PARAMETERS. ALL PARAMETERS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: DISEASE ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED IN BOTH GROUPS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT IT WAS REDUCED MORE IN YG, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05). IN BOTH YG AND CG, IL-1ALPHA, IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CORTISOL DECREASED AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT IL-1ALPHA AND CORTISOL DECREASED MORE SIGNIFICANTLY IN YG THAN IN CG. LOW-FREQUENCY COMPONENT EXPRESSED AS NORMALIZED UNIT (LFNU) AND THE LOW-FREQUENCY/HIGH-FREQUENCY (LF-HF) RATIO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND TOTAL POWER AND HF COMPONENT EXPRESSED AS NORMALIZED UNIT (HFNU) INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YG COMPARED WITH CG. CONCLUSION: TWELVE-WEEK YOGA THERAPY, IF GIVEN ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES DISEASE ACTIVITY AND IMPROVES SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IN RA PATIENTS. 2020 18 1491 45 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 19 2817 51 YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH ASTHMA. OBJECTIVES: INDIVIDUALS WITH ASTHMA FREQUENTLY SUFFER WITH A DECREASE IN QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN THE HEALTHY POPULATION AND HAS BEEN USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY TO HELP IMPROVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS DISEASES. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS WHETHER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) IN PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA. DESIGN: NINETEEN (19) FEMALES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP FOR A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION WHILE STILL FOLLOWING GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THEIR PHYSICIAN. ALL SUBJECTS ANSWERED THE ST. GEORGE'S RESPIRATORY QUESTIONNAIRE (SGRQ) TO ASSESS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PERFORMED AN ISOMETRIC HANDGRIP EXERCISE TEST TO ASSESS HRV. RESULTS: BASED ON THE SGRQ, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS (45%, P < 0.05) IN QUALITY OF LIFE WERE OBSERVED WITH THE YOGA TRAINING, WHILE NO CHANGES WERE FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. RESTING HEMODYNAMIC MEASURES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP DECREASED PARASYMPATHETIC MODULATION (HFNU [NORMALIZED UNITS]) PRE- TO POSTINTERVENTION (0.45 +/- 0.60 TO 0.35 +/- 0.06 NU, P<0.05, RESPECTIVELY) IN RESPONSE TO THE ISOMETRIC FOREARM EXERCISE (IFE), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT CHANGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE YOGA GROUP INCREASED SYMPATHETIC (LFNU) (PRE 0.47 +/- 0.07 TO POST 0.60 +/- 0.07 NU, P < 0.05) AND SYMPATHOVAGAL MODULATION (LOGLF/HF) (PRE 4.61 +/- 0.39 TO POST 5.31 +/- 0.44, P < 0.05, RESPECTIVELY) DURING IFE WITH NO CHANGE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA TRAINING IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE ASTHMA AND RESULTED IN DECREASED PARASYMPATHETIC AND INCREASED SYMPATHETIC MODULATION IN RESPONSE TO AN IFE. 2012 20 1366 41 IMPACT OF A 10 MINUTE SEATED YOGA PRACTICE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES. OBJECTIVE: WE SOUGHT TO PROSPECTIVELY EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A 10 MINUTE SEATED YOGA PROGRAM ADDED TO STANDARD COMPREHENSIVE DIABETES CARE ON GLUCOSE CONTROL AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IN THE SEVERELY ILL, MEDICALLY COMPLEX DIABETIC POPULATION. METHOD: A TOTAL OF 10 PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES, AGES 49-77, WITH DURATION OF DIABETES >10 YEARS AND HAEMOGLOBIN A1C >9% (75 MMOL/MOL) WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION WERE TAUGHT A 10 MINUTE SEATED YOGA PRACTICE, WERE GIVEN AN EXPLANATORY DVD AND A FOLD-OUT POCKET GUIDE TO ENCOURAGE ADHERENCE AT HOME, AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO INCORPORATE THE PRACTICE AS OFTEN AS THEY COULD. THE PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL ARM WERE PROVIDED INFORMATION AND HAND OUTS ON THE AVAILABLE YOGA CLASSES ON CAMPUS. RESULTS: AT 3 MONTH CLINICAL FOLLOW UP, THE MEAN DECREASE IN FASTING CAPILLARY BLOOD GLUCOSE (CBG) WAS 45% AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS (-5.2 +/- 4.1 MMOL/L). HEART RATE (HR) DROPPED BY 18% AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) DROPPED BY 29% IN THE INTERVENTION ARM, (-12.4 +/- 6.69 AND -26 +/- 12.05 MMHG, RESPECTIVELY). THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE HAEMOGLOBIN A1C, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, WEIGHT, OR BODY MASS INDEX IN EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSION: OUR SMALL PILOT STUDY REINFORCES THE CURRENT MEDICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE USE OF YOGA, COMBINED WITH STANDARD CARE, TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES IN DIABETES. 2016