1 1012 152 EFFECTS OF ONE MONTH OF COMMON YOGA PROTOCOL PRACTICE APPEAR TO BE MEDIATED BY THE ANGIOGENIC AND NEUROGENIC PATHWAY: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE MOLECULAR EFFECTS OF MINDFUL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION DESIGN: THIS WAS AN OPEN LABEL SINGLE ARM EXPLORATORY YOGA INTERVENTION STUDY. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: 64 HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE AGE OF 18-60 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FOR THIS ONE MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION STUDY. INTERVENTION: COMMON YOGA PROTOCOL (CYP) IS A STANDARDIZED YOGA PROTOCOL RELEASED BY MINISTRY OF AYUSH, INDIA FOR INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY. IT INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS OF YOGA I.E. ASANAS, PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION. IT IS DESIGNED FOR ADOPTION BY ALL AGE GROUPS FOR THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITY. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS INCLUDING FASTING SUGAR AND LIPID PROFILE. THE MOLECULAR MARKERS OF NEUROGENESIS (I.E. BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPIC FACTOR, BDNF) AND ANGIOGENESIS (I.E. VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR, VEGF AND ANGIOGENIN) ALONG WITH AMYLOID BETA (MARKER RELATED TO NEURO-DEGENERATIVE DISEASES) WERE ASSESSED. ALL THE ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE AT BASELINE AND AFTER ONE MONTH OF THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: AFTER ONE MONTH OF CYP PRACTICE HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) LEVELS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.001), ALTHOUGH OTHER BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS I.E. FASTING SUGAR AND OTHER LIPID ASSESSMENTS WERE FOUND TO BE UNALTERED. ANGIOGENESIS MARKER, ANGIOGENIN WAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.002), OTHER ANGIOGENESIS MARKER VEGF DID NOT SHOW ANY CHANGE ALONG WITH BDNF, MARKER OF NEUROGENESIS. AMYLOID BETA LEVELS WERE ALSO UNALTERED. EVEN THOUGH INDIVIDUAL LEVELS OF VEGF AND AMYLOID BETA DID NOT SHOW ANY CHANGE, PROPORTION OF VEGF TO AMYLOID BETA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE (P<0.001) AFTER ONE MONTH OF CYP INTERVENTION INDICATING THAT THE CHANGE IN VEGF LEVELS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE CHANGE IN AMYLOID BETA LEVELS. CONCLUSION: CYP PRACTICE MAY INFLUENCE CELL SURVIVAL PATHWAYS MEDIATED BY ANGIOGENIC AND NEUROGENIC CROSS TALK. HENCE, CYP CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE FOR DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH IMPAIRED ANGIOGENIC AND NEUROGENIC MECHANISM. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF CYP AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. 2021 2 2153 34 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 3 2043 27 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 4 2290 37 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 5 1473 30 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 6 1849 45 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 7 716 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 8 2085 33 THE EFFECT OF LONG TERM COMBINED YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE OF HEALTHY ADULTS. BACKGROUND: DIFFERENT PROCEDURES PRACTICED IN YOGA HAVE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE WHEN STUDIED ACUTELY. IN DAILY LIFE HOWEVER, THESE PROCEDURES ARE USUALLY PRACTICED IN COMBINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE NET CHANGE IN THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) OF INDIVIDUALS ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES (ASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES, MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING EXERCISES) FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS, AT A RESIDENTIAL YOGA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER AT BANGALORE. METHODS: THE MEASURED BMR OF INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF CONTROL SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA BUT LED SIMILAR LIFESTYLES. RESULTS: THE BMR OF THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE NON-YOGA GROUP, AND WAS LOWER BY ABOUT 13 % WHEN ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT (P < 0.001). THIS DIFFERENCE PERSISTED WHEN THE GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED BY GENDER; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE IN BMR ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT WAS GREATER IN WOMEN THAN MEN (ABOUT 8 AND 18% RESPECTIVELY). IN ADDITION, THE MEAN BMR OF THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEIR PREDICTED VALUES, WHILE THE MEAN BMR OF NON-YOGA GROUP WAS COMPARABLE WITH THEIR PREDICTED VALUES DERIVED FROM 1985 WHO/FAO/UNU PREDICTIVE EQUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BMR, PROBABLY LINKED TO REDUCED AROUSAL, WITH THE LONG TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA USING A COMBINATION OF STIMULATORY AND INHIBITORY YOGIC PRACTICES. 2006 9 876 47 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 10 819 37 EFFECT OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION IN HYPOTHYROIDISM: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE PREVALENCE OF HYPOTHYROIDISM AMONG INDIAN WOMEN IS 15.8%. DEPRESSION IS FREQUENTLY REPORTED IN HYPOTHYROIDISM. YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF A 3-MONTH INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION (3-IY) ON DEPRESSION, LIPID INDICES, AND SERUM THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE (STSH) LEVELS AMONG FEMALE PATIENTS HAVING HYPOTHYROIDISM, AND MILD-TO-MODERATE DEPRESSION. METHOD: THE PRESENT SINGLE-ARM PRE-POST DESIGN STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN THIRTY-EIGHT WOMEN (AVERAGE AGE 34.2 +/- 4.7 YEARS). PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A 3-IY COMPRISING ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES FOR 60 MIN DAILY (5 DAYS A WEEK). DEPRESSION, STSH, LIPID PROFILE INDICES, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), FATIGUE, ANXIETY, AND STRESS WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. THYROID MEDICATION WAS KEPT CONSTANT DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. DATA WERE ANALYSED USING R STUDIO SOFTWARE. RESULT: A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION (58%), STSH (37%), BMI (6%), FATIGUE (64%), ANXIETY (57%), LIPID PROFILE INDICES (HLD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTY), AND STRESS (55%) LEVELS WAS OBSERVED AFTER 3 MONTHS, COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING BASELINE LEVELS. CONCLUSION: THE 3-IY IS USEFUL FOR REDUCING DEPRESSION, DYSLIPIDEMIA, AND STSH IN WOMEN WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DEPRESSION. FURTHER STUDIES WITH A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE AND A ROBUST RESEARCH DESIGN USING OBJECTIVE VARIABLES MUST BE CONDUCTED TO STRENGTHEN THE STUDY FINDINGS. 2021 11 410 40 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 12 2106 33 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON NEUROTICISM IN AN INDIAN POPULATION VARIES WITH SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. NEUROTICISM, OR NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY, CAN INFLUENCE A PERSON'S APPROACH TO LIFE. THIS STUDY EXAMINED LEVELS OF NEUROTICISM IN 249 PATIENTS WITH ILLNESSES KNOWN TO BE RELATED TO THE MENTAL STATE. ALL OF THEM WERE GIVEN A SIX-DAY INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM. PATIENTS SHOWED A DECREASE IN NEUROTICISM MEASURED BY THE PGI HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE. THE REDUCTION WAS MAXIMUM FOR (A) THOSE WITH AGES BETWEEN 36 AND 51 YEARS, (B) FEMALES, (C) PATIENTS WITH AT LEAST 17 YEARS OF EDUCATION, AND (D) THOSE WHO WERE SELF-EMPLOYED. THE RESULTS SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS IN NEUROTICISM LEVELS AND IN PROGRAMS INTENDED TO REDUCE NEUROTICISM. HENCE, YOGA IS A USEFUL INTERVENTION TO REDUCE TRAITS OF NEUROTICISM, WITH VARIATIONS IN THE DEGREE OF CHANGE BASED ON SOCIAL FACTORS. 2012 13 527 44 COMPARISON OF LYMPHOCYTE APOPTOTIC INDEX AND QUALITATIVE DNA DAMAGE IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS AND RADIATION-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE, IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED AT COMPARING THE APOPTOTIC INDEX (AI) AND DNA DAMAGE OF ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH THOSE OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL PILOT STUDY COMPARED THREE GROUPS (N = 9 EACH) OF AGE-MATCHED SUBJECTS VIZ. (1) CARCINOMA BREAST PATIENTS IN STAGE II OR III UNDERGOING RADIATION THERAPY AFTER COMPLETING THREE CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY; (2) SENIOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO WERE PRACTICING ASANAS, PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION DAILY FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS; AND (3) NORMAL HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS. PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES WERE ISOLATED, AND QUALITATIVE DNA DAMAGE (QDD) AND AI WERE EVALUATED BY SINGLE-CELL GEL ELECTROPHORESIS ASSAY. APPROXIMATELY 500 CELLS WERE COUNTED IN EACH CASE. NUMBER OF CELLS THAT WERE NORMAL, UNDERGOING APOPTOSIS, AND WITH DNA DAMAGE WERE CATEGORIZED AND PERCENTAGES WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: DATA BEING NORMALLY DISTRIBUTED, ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN GROUPS IN AI (P = 0.016) AND QDD (P = 0.045). ON POST-HOC ANALYSIS USING SCHEFFE TEST, AI WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN NON-YOGA VOLUNTEERS AS COMPARED WITH THE BREAST CANCER GROUP (P = 0.019) AND QDD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHEN COMPARED WITH NON-YOGA VOLUNTEERS (P = 0.047). CONCLUSION: CELLULAR DYSFUNCTION (QDD) REQUIRES RESTORATIVE MECHANISMS (AI) TO RESTORE THE SYSTEM TO A BALANCE. THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY SHOW TRENDS, WHICH INDICATE THAT IN ILL-HEALTH, THERE IS INADEQUATE RESTORATIVE MECHANISMS (AI) ALTHOUGH DYSFUNCTION (QDD) IS HIGH. THROUGH REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA, CELLULAR DYSFUNCTION CAN BE LOWERED, THUS NECESSITATING REDUCED RESTORATIVE MECHANISMS. AI AND QDD COULD ALSO BE USEFUL INDICATORS FOR PREDICTING THE THREE ZONES OF HEALTH VIZ. DISEASE, HEALTH, AND POSITIVE HEALTH. 2013 14 2745 35 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 15 505 38 COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON BIOCHEMICAL FUNCTIONS IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. INTRODUCTION: MENOPAUSE IS A TRANSITIONAL PHASE IN WHICH SOME WOMEN EXPERIENCE DISCOMFORT, WHILE OTHERS MAY EXHIBIT VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS. THE POWER OF YOGA THERAPY IN RELIEVING STRESS, ENHANCING HEALTH, IMPROVING FITNESS AND MANAGING SYMPTOMS OF A VARIETY OF DISORDERS IS REMARKABLE. AIM: THE CURRENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF HATHA YOGA THERAPY AND REGULAR PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON THE FASTING BLOOD SUGAR (FBS), GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN (GHB), THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE (TSH), SERUM CORTISOL AND TOTAL PLASMA THIOL LEVELS IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 216 WOMEN WITH PERIMENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, 111 IN TEST GROUP (HATHA YOGA) AND 105 IN CONTROL GROUP (PHYSICAL EXERCISE). THE DURATION OF INTERVENTION WAS 45 MINUTES EVERY DAY FOR 12 WEEKS. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED IN THE PRE AND POST INTERVENTION PERIOD. STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WAS DEFINED AS P<0.05. RESULTS: FBS AND GHB (P