1 1936 92 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS) ARE A GROUP OF DISORDERS OF THE HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS. CVDS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE. THOUGH YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN CVD PATIENTS, THERE IS A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW REPORTING ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. THUS, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE. AN AGGREGATE OF 603 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM INCEPTION WERE SCREENED AND 85 ARTICLES THAT ARE APPLICABLE WERE REPORTED. THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PLAY A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, DIFFERENT TYPES AND DURATIONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MECHANISMS BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS. THUS, FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS OF THE IMPACTS OF YOGA. 2020 2 204 27 A REVIEW OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR FOUR LEADING RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. YOGA, A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. YET HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE YOGA FOR ITS ABILITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW PUBLISHED STUDIES USING YOGA PROGRAMS AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON COMMON RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES (OVERWEIGHT, HYPERTENSION, HIGH GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL). A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH YIELDED 32 ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND APRIL 2007. THE STUDIES FOUND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BODY WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES EXAMINED LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOT ENOUGH STUDIES INCLUDED DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES AND ITS RELATED COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2007 3 2454 33 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SEDENTARY AND STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE AND AFFECTS UNDERACTIVE PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOW-IMPACT MIND-BODY STRESS-RELIEVING EXERCISE, AND RESEARCHERS ARE INCREASING THEIR FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MANAGING METABOLIC DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTION, IN TERMS OF ITS TYPE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY ON VARIOUS MS RISK FACTORS. THE PRESENT REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS SUCH AS GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS MARKERS, LIPID PROFILE, ADIPOCYTOKINES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, AND DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION UP TO DECEMBER 2019, USING THE KEYWORDS "METABOLIC SYNDROME," "DIABETES," "CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES," "OBESITY" AND "YOGA." THE LITERATURE SUMMARIZED IN THIS REVIEW HAVE SHOWN MIXED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS AND DO NOT PROVIDE ROBUST EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY. MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND WELL-DESIGNED TRIALS THAT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATE YOGA'S LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON MS ARE NEEDED. UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON VARIOUS METABOLIC PATHWAYS IS ALSO NEEDED. 2021 4 1927 29 ROLE OF YOGA IN CARDIAC DISEASE AND REHABILITATION. PURPOSE: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CONTINUES TO BE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AROUND THE WORLD. YOGA, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA), HAS GAINED INCREASING RECOGNITION AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE. IN THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW, WE INTENDED TO REVIEW THE EMERGING EVIDENCE ASSESSING THE PHYSIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS A COMPONENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION. METHODS: WE SEARCHED PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES FOR LITERATURE RELATED TO CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF YOGA FROM INCEPTION UP UNTIL 2017. RESULTS: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, STRESS, THE CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS A USEFUL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT ALGORITHMS. ALTHOUGH MANY INVESTIGATORS HAVE REPORTED THE CLINICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY, EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THESE CONCLUSIONS IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED, THEREBY EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR LARGE, WELL-DESIGNED RANDOMIZED TRIALS THAT MINIMIZE BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS. 2019 5 94 35 A NARRATIVE REVIEW ON ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTOR, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD AS WELL AS IN INDIA THAT GREATLY AFFECTS THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR AND ECONOMY. USE OF DRUGS HAS ITS OWN DRAWBACKS AND IN RECENT DAYS THE USE OF NON-MEDICAL MEASURES WERE REPORTED NOT ONLY TO MANAGE T2DM, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT ITS COMPLICATIONS. THROUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS REVIEW ARTICLES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RISK PROFILES, MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN T2DM SEPARATELY, THERE IS A LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMBINATION WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM COMPLICATIONS. HENCE, WE PERFORMED A NARRATIVE REVIEW IN MEDLINE/PUBMED USING KEYWORD "YOGA AND DIABETES". ALL THE RELEVANT ARTICLES PUBLISHED TILL 08TH NOVEMBER 2016 WERE INCLUDED. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA PLAYS A VITAL ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTORS, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE T2DM. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED USING STANDARD RESEARCH DESIGNS AND VARIABLES TO FIND OUT THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS OF EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DETAIL. 2017 6 1185 30 EVIDENCE BASE OF YOGA STUDIES ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCLUDING CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE CONTRIBUTE TO APPROXIMATELY 50% OF GLOBAL MORTALITY. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT ALONE MAY NOT BE A PANACEA FOR SUCH DISEASES SINCE IT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS. HENCE, STRATEGIES SUCH AS YOGA INVOLVING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT ARE WIDELY SOUGHT BY THE PATIENT POPULATION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AN ELECTRONIC SEARCH OF PUBMED AS A STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE WAS PERFORMED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2015 USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR." STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND PARAMETERS RELATED TO CARDIAC HEALTH AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 149 PUBLICATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED WHICH MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ANALYSIS. OF THE TOTAL PUBLICATIONS, 44% WERE CLINICAL TRIALS OF WHICH 19% WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WHICH MAY BE CATEGORIZED AS HIGH-QUALITY ONES. AN UPWARD TREND IN THE OVERALL RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS EVIDENT. MAJOR WORK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY RESEARCHERS OF THE UNITED STATES (38%) AND INDIA (29%). CONCLUSION: THE SURVEY INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" HEALTH HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY IN THE LATE YEARS. ANALYSIS COMPRISING THE NATION/STATE HELPS DEFINE ITS STATUS WITH REGARD TO ITS COUNTERPARTS AND HELPS UNDERSTAND SCIENCE PRIORITIES AND DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND QUALITY CONTROL. THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER HIGH-QUALITY STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" DISEASES TO VALIDATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH PARAMETERS. 2019 7 1084 25 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THIS ARTICLE REPORTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS. METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED TO IDENTIFY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) AND CLINICAL CONTROLLED TRIALS (CCTS) THAT ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS. SELECTED STUDIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE TYPES OF INTERVENTION, DURATION, OUTCOME MEASURES, AND RESULTS. THEY WERE ALSO QUALITATIVELY ASSESSED BASED ON PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. RESULTS: THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS BASED ON EIGHT RCTS AND CCTS THAT INDICATED A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS OR STRESS SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THAT THE INTERVENTION DURATION WAS SHORT AND LIMITED FOLLOW-UP DATA WAS AVAILABLE. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW REVEALED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS REDUCTION IN HEALTHY ADULT POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, THE RESULT SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION DUE TO THE SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES AND THE ASSOCIATED METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. FURTHER STUDIES TO ASCERTAIN YOGA'S LONG-TERM EFFECTS AND THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS LEADING TO ITS STRESS REDUCTION EFFECT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. 2011 8 549 17 CONTEXTUALIZING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A REVIEW OF LITERATURE BOTH TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED THERAPY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND TO EXAMINE THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. FINDINGS FROM THE REVIEW INDICATE THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE SHORT-TERM EFFECT ON MULTIPLE DIABETES-RELATED OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND DISCRIMINATION, INFLUENCES THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCLUDING YOGA PRACTICE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THIS INFLUENCE. 2008 9 2294 17 THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR COMMON PRIMARY CARE CONDITIONS. INTRODUCTION: YOGA IS A POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE THAT USES BODY POSTURES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: OUR GOAL FOR THIS REVIEW IS TO ORIENT HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED USES OF YOGA MOST RELEVANT TO PRIMARY CARE. WE CONDUCTED A PUBMED SEARCH THAT INCLUDED META-ANALYSES, REVIEWS, SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. RESULTS: RESULTS WERE LIMITED TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND PUBLICATION BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020. YOGA WAS FOUND TO HELP DECREASE HYPERTENSION, RELIEVE BACK PAIN, PROMOTE OVERALL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A RELATIVELY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR PATIENTS INTERESTED IN THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE CHANGE TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING AND TO HELP MANAGE HYPERTENSION, BACK PAIN, AND OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH. 2021 10 62 39 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS (INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS) OF YOGA FOR NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. WOMEN UNDERGO DISTINCT PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AND STRESS DURING PREGNANCY THAT ARE ACCOMPANIED BY VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEMANDS. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY THAT IS COMMONLY USED BY PREGNANT WOMEN AND RECOMMENDED BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. THUS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW ITS EVIDENCE BASED EFFECTS, INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM ALL TYPES OF RESEARCH. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE FROM INCEPTION TO 23 SEPTEMBER 2017 WAS PERFORMED USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA FOR PREGNANCY". IN TOTAL, 137 ARTICLES PUBLISHED SINCE 1979 WERE AVAILABLE. OF THE 137 ARTICLES, 53 ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED FOR THE REVIEW. THIS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN IMPROVING BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING IN PREGNANT WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY (NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK), CHILDBIRTH, AND POST-PARTUM. HOWEVER, TYPES, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICES VARIED AMONG THE STUDIES AND THE EXACT MECHANISMS BEHIND THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LESS UNDERSTOOD AND NEED TO BE EXPLORED. 2019 11 2292 23 THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR CHILDREN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. PURPOSE: WE COMPLETED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL OUTCOME MEASURES IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. WE EXPLORED VARIOUS DATABASES AND INCLUDED CASE-CONTROL AND PILOT STUDIES, COHORT AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS THAT EXAMINED YOGA AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: USING THE SACKETT LEVELS OF EVIDENCE, THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE LITERATURE ON YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY MIND-BODY MOVEMENT THERAPY. WE ADDRESS THE RESEARCH THROUGH THREE PRACTICE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO THE GUIDE TO PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE AND PROVIDE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOGA INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE. STATEMENT OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE EVIDENCE SHOWS PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION THAT MAY BENEFIT CHILDREN THROUGH THE REHABILITATION PROCESS, BUT LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS, INCLUDING SPECIFIC MEASURES OF QUALITY OF LIFE ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. 2008 12 2482 31 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLIMENTARY THERAPY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND DEATH WORLDWIDE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY EXERCISE, UTILIZES BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH LOW-IMPACT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT MAY BE AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PATIENTS AT-RISK FOR AND/OR SUFFERING FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR INTERVENTIONS WERE ( A) PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BETWEEN 2005 AND 2015; ( B) INDEXED IN MEDLINE/PUBMED, CINAHL, OR ALT HEALTHWATCH; ( C) EMPLOYED A QUANTITATIVE DESIGN; AND ( D) APPLIED A YOGA INTERVENTION. TWELVE INTERVENTIONS MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, OF WHICH, ALL DOCUMENTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ONE OR MORE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDIES IN THIS REVIEW INCLUDED A LACK OF STUDIES ADHERING TO THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, AND HIGH ATTRITION RATES. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS, THIS REVIEW DEMONSTRATES THE CLEAR POTENTIAL YOGA HAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEANS TO IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK. 2017 13 1187 35 EVIDENCE BASED EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON VARIOUS HEALTH RELATED PROBLEMS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE: A REVIEW. MORE THAN 50% OF THE ELDERLY ABOVE 60 YEARS OF AGE SUFFER FROM CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS, THE PREVALENCE OF WHICH INCREASES WITH AGE. THOUGH YOGA HAS BEEN REPORTED AS AN EFFECTIVE MODALITY IN IMPROVING VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ELDERLY POPULATIONS, A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF YOGA AND ITS EFFECTS ON VARIOUS HEALTH RELATED PROBLEMS OF ELDERLY POPULATIONS HAS NOT YET BEEN REPORTED. HENCE, WE PERFORMED PUBMED/MEDLINE SEARCH TO REVIEW RELEVANT ARTICLES, USING KEYWORD "YOGA AND ELDERLY". RELEVANT ARTICLES PUBLISHED SINCE INCEPTION TILL 6TH OCTOBER 2016 WERE INCLUDED FOR THE REVIEW. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT THE REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL (REDUCES HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, BLOOD GLUCOSE, OXIDATIVE DAMAGE, FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, FEAR OF FALL, AND IMPROVE HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY, INSULIN SENSITIVITY, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS, MOBILITY, FLEXIBILITY, AND URINARY INCONTINENCE), MENTAL (REDUCES DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), EMOTIONAL (REDUCES ANGER, STRESS, TENSION AND IMPROVE SELF-EFFICACY), SOCIAL (IMPROVE LIFE SATISFACTION), AND VITAL (IMPROVED VITALITY) PLANES OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS, OFFERING A BETTER QUALITY OF SLEEP AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2017 14 2923 17 [WHERE AND HOW DOES YOGA WORK? - A SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW]. AS A TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION. IT IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEANS. YOGA HAS BEEN RESEARCHED IN HUNDREDS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE ESPECIALLY FOUND FOR CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS, HYPERTENSION, DEPRESSION AND IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE. WHILE THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA, THE RISK SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW AND COMPARABLE TO OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS. 2017 15 2105 25 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: TO SUMMARIZE AND EVALUATE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: PUBMED, CINAHL/MEDLINE, WEB OF SCIENCE, AMED, AND SCOPUS WERE SEARCHED FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LITERATURE RELEVANT TO THE REVIEW QUESTION. ALL PRIMARY RESEARCH STUDIES WERE INCLUDED. RESULTS: FIFTEEN STUDIES DESCRIBED IN 18 PAPERS WERE INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. A RANGE OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE USED. SOME STUDIES USED A COMBINATION OF ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND OTHER YOGIC RELAXATION OR MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. ALL INCLUDED STUDIES REPORTED SOME CHANGE IN THEIR OUTCOME MEASURES, SUGGESTING REDUCED SYMPTOMS OF MENSTRUAL DISTRESS FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION; HOWEVER, THE HETEROGENEITY AND INTENSITY OF THE INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOME MEASURES MEANT THAT FINDINGS HAVE LIMITED GENERALIZABILITY AND APPLICABILITY IN PRACTICE SETTINGS. CONCLUSIONS: FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MENSTRUAL DISORDERS IS WARRANTED, BUT THERE MUST BE BOTH CONSISTENCY IN THE METHODS, MEASURES, AND QUALITY OF STUDIES AND A SHIFT TOWARD RESEARCH ON YOGA PRACTICES THAT ARE REPLICABLE OUTSIDE OF THE CLINICAL TRIAL SETTING. 2017 16 2774 22 YOGA RESEARCH REVIEW. THIS PAPER IS A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES, REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS PUBLICATIONS ON YOGA FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE REVIEW INCLUDES DEMOGRAPHICS/PREVALENCE OF YOGA AS A PRACTICE, BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSES OF THE YOGA PUBLICATIONS AND THE USE OF YOGA FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. MOST OF THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE INVOLVE YOGA EFFECTS ON PSYCHIATRIC AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THESE INCLUDE PREGNANCY, PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; STRESS, PTSD, ANXIETY, AND OBESITY; CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS INCLUDING HYPERTENSION; PAIN SYNDROMES INCLUDING ARTHRITIS, HEADACHES AND LOW BACK PAIN; AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING ASTHMA, TYPE II DIABETES AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS; IMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING HIV AND BREAST CANCER; AND AGING PROBLEMS INCLUDING BALANCE, OSTEOPOROSIS AND PARKINSON'S. THE METHODS AND RESULTS OF THOSE STUDIES ARE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED ALONG WITH THEIR LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BASICALLY YOGA HAS BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONTROL AND WAITLIST CONTROL CONDITIONS, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TREATMENT COMPARISON GROUPS SUCH AS OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE. MORE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED IN WHICH YOGA IS COMPARED TO ACTIVE EXERCISE GROUPS. HAVING ESTABLISHED THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA MAKES IT ETHICALLY QUESTIONABLE TO ASSIGN PARTICIPANTS TO INACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. SHORTER SESSIONS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND FOR DAILY PRACTICE. MULTIPLE PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE SELF-REPORT RESEARCH PROTOCOLS AND POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS NEED TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED. IN THE INTERIM, THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE HIGHLIGHT THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, A PRACTICE THAT COULD COME TO BE CALLED YOGA THERAPY. 2016 17 1983 27 SLEEP, COGNITION, AND YOGA. STRESS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS GLOBALLY, ASSOCIATED WITH POOR SLEEP QUALITY AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION. MODERN SOCIETY IS PLAGUED BY SLEEP DISTURBANCES, EITHER DUE TO PROFESSIONAL DEMANDS OR LIFESTYLE OR BOTH THE ASPECTS, OFTEN LEADING TO REDUCED ALERTNESS AND COMPROMISED MENTAL FUNCTION, BESIDES THE WELL DOCUMENTED ILL EFFECTS OF DISTURBED SLEEP ON PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS. THIS PERTINENT ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE. RECENTLY, YOGA PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR WORLDWIDE. YOGA PRACTICE IS AN ADJUNCT EFFECTIVE FOR STRESS, SLEEP AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS. THERE ARE LIMITED WELL CONTROLLED PUBLISHED STUDIES CONDUCTED IN THIS AREA. WE REVIEWED THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF MODERN LIFESTYLE IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, ADULTS AND GERIATRIC POPULATION. THE ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN OPTIMIZING SLEEP ARCHITECTURE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS LEADING TO OPTIMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONING IN NORMAL AND DISEASED STATE IS DISCUSSED. WE INCLUDED ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH WITH NO FIXED TIME DURATION FOR LITERATURE SEARCH. LITERATURE WAS SEARCHED MAINLY BY USING PUBMED AND SCIENCE DIRECT SEARCH ENGINES AND CRITICALLY EXAMINED. STUDIES HAVE REVEALED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SLEEP AND COGNITIVE SKILLS AMONG HEALTHY ADULTS AS WELL AS PATIENTS OF SOME NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES. FURTHER, ON EVALUATING THE PUBLISHED STUDIES, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SLEEP AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS ARE OPTIMIZED BY YOGA PRACTICE, WHICH BRINGS ABOUT CHANGES IN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION, STRUCTURAL CHANGES, CHANGES IN METABOLISM, NEUROCHEMISTRY AND IMPROVED FUNCTIONAL BRAIN NETWORK CONNECTIVITY IN KEY REGIONS OF THE BRAIN. 2021 18 2416 26 YOGA AND MEDITATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. YOGA IS A HOLISTIC MIND-BODY INTERVENTION AIMED AT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA AND/OR MEDITATION CAN CONTROL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE LIKE HYPERTENSION, TYPE II DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE, OBESITY, LIPID PROFILE, PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS AND SMOKING. SOME RANDOMIZED STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA/MEDITATION COULD RETARD OR EVEN REGRESS EARLY AND ADVANCED CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS. A RECENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION MAY BE EXTREMELY USEFUL IN SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND MAY REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS BY 48% OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD. ANOTHER SMALL STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL IN PREVENTION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS LIKE LACK OF ADEQUATE CONTROLS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, INCONSISTENCIES IN BASELINE AND DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, ETC. AND THEREFORE LARGE TRIALS WITH IMPROVED METHODOLOGIES ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND YOGA BEING A COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS, IT APPEARS APPROPRIATE TO INCORPORATE YOGA/MEDITATION FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2014 19 635 27 DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. PURPOSE: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS, AS SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOW ELEVATED LEVELS OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. THE GOAL OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS, THUS, TO ANALYSE THE OCCURRENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHOD: PRISMA GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WERE USED. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL DATABASES AND SPECIFIC JOURNALS. RESULTS: TWELVE ARTICLES, ALL CROSS-SECTIONAL, WERE IDENTIFIED, FOLLOWING PRISMA GUIDELINES. RESULTS ACROSS STUDIES WERE INCONSISTENT. YOGA PRACTICE WAS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHIER EATING BEHAVIOURS, LOWER DISORDERED EATING SYMPTOMS, AND HIGHER POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND BODY SATISFACTION, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE AT A LOWER RISK OF DEVELOPING EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, OTHER STUDIES SUGGESTED THAT A HIGH DOSAGE OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS, UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA DOSAGE AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS IS CRITICAL TO GUIDE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESTABLISH YOGA AS A VALUABLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: LEVEL I, SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. 2019 20 2025 25 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS. THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, YET FEW OLDER ADULTS ENGAGE IN ADEQUATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO OPTIMIZE HEALTH. WHILE YOGA MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, FEW STUDIES HAVE FOCUSED ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO PROMOTE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE AN EVALUATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN OLDER ADULTS. FOUR DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN OLDER ADULTS. STUDIES WITH CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES WERE INCLUDED. LITERATURE SEARCHES IDENTIFIED NINE ARTICLES ELIGIBLE FOR REVIEW. SIGNIFICANT HEALTH BENEFITS WERE REPORTED, INCLUDING FAVORABLE CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE, BODY COMPOSITION, GLUCOSE, AND LIPIDS. YOGA PRACTICES, PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS, AND OUTCOME MEASURES WERE VARIABLE. THERE WAS LIMITED USE OF THEORY. YOGA IS SAFE AND FEASIBLE IN OLDER ADULTS; ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EXAMINE THE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK. 2016