1 2452 142 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: DESIGN AND RATIONALE OF THE HEALTHY, ACTIVE, AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY. DIABETES IS THE SEVENTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. FOR MOST PATIENTS, MEDICATION ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE GLYCEMIC CONTROL; ATTENTION MUST ALSO BE PAID TO MULTIPLE HEALTHY BEHAVIORS INCLUDING DIET, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. YOGA, A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE WITH EMPHASIS ON RELAXATION, MEDITATION, AND DEEP BREATHING, MAY HAVE SPECIAL RELEVANCE TO PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). YOGA PRACTICE MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT STRESS AND OTHER SELF-CARE TASKS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED GLYCEMIC CONTROL. THE HEALTHY, ACTIVE, AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG ADULT PATIENTS WITH T2DM. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, ADULTS WITH T2DM WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A 12-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION GIVEN TWICE WEEKLY, OR A TWICE-WEEKLY 12-WEEK PROGRAM OF TRADITIONAL EXERCISE (E.G., WALKING, STATIONARY CYCLING). ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE END OF TREATMENT (12 WEEKS) AND AT 3 AND 6 MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. THE HA1C STUDY WILL ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY (E.G., ATTENDANCE/RETENTION RATES, SATISFACTION WITH PROGRAM), GLYCEMIC OUTCOMES (E.G., HBA1C, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE), AND CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL (E.G., SALIVARY CORTISOL) AND BEHAVIORAL FACTORS (E.G., PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DIET) RELEVANT TO THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM. FOCUS GROUPS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROGRAM AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE POTENTIAL UTILITY OF YOGA FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT. 2018 2 1303 45 HATHA YOGA PRACTICE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON GLYCEMIC CONTROL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS, AND SELF-CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). METHODS: TEN SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS WITH T2DM WHO WERE NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT, FREE OF DIABETES-RELATED COMPLICATIONS, AND HAD NO PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE COMPLETED THERAPEUTIC YOGA CLASSES FOR 6 WEEKS, 3 TIMES PER WEEK . GLYCEMIC CONTROL MEASURES INCLUDED FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN, AND FASTING INSULIN. THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE USED TO ASSESS LEVELS OF STRESS, AND THE SUMMARY OF DIABETES SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO ASSESS REGIMEN ADHERENCE. RESULTS: NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN GLUCOSE CONTROL OR PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS WERE FOUND; HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PERCEIVED STRESS, STATE ANXIETY, AND SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS WERE DETECTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUPPORT FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE BENEFITS OF HATHA YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR THOSE WITH T2DM. 2013 3 2353 48 UTILIZATION OF 3-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM FOR ADULTS AT HIGH RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: A PILOT STUDY. VARIOUS MODES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, COMBINED WITH DIETING, HAVE BEEN WIDELY RECOMMENDED TO PREVENT OR DELAY TYPE 2 DIABETES. AMONG THESE, YOGA HOLDS PROMISE FOR REDUCING RISK FACTORS FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES BY PROMOTING WEIGHT LOSS, IMPROVING GLUCOSE LEVELS AND REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE AND LIPID LEVELS. THIS PILOT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM AMONG ADULTS AT HIGH RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. TWENTY-THREE ADULTS (19 WHITES AND 4 NON-WHITES) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR THE EDUCATIONAL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 3-MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION WITH SESSIONS TWICE PER WEEK AND THE EDUCATIONAL GROUP RECEIVED GENERAL HEALTH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS EVERY 2 WEEKS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AND HAD BLOOD TESTS AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. EFFECT SIZES WERE REPORTED TO SUMMARIZE THE EFFICACY OF THE INTERVENTION. ALL PARTICIPANTS ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION COMPLETED THE YOGA PROGRAM WITHOUT COMPLICATION AND EXPRESSED HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM (99.2%). THEIR YOGA SESSION ATTENDANCE RANGED FROM 58.3 TO 100%. COMPARED WITH THE EDUCATION GROUP, THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN, TRIGLYCERIDES AND EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY INDICATED BY SMALL TO LARGE EFFECT SIZES. 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 THIS GROUP. 2011 4 1707 38 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 5 1247 68 FEASIBILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: THE HEALTHY ACTIVE AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY:HEALTHY ACTIVE AND IN CONTROL (HA1C), EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE-2 DIABETES (T2DM). DESIGN: A 2-ARM RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING IYENGAR YOGA WITH A SUPERVISED WALKING PROGRAM. SETTING: HOSPITAL BASED GYM-TYPE FACILITY AND CONFERENCE ROOMS. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK PROGRAM OF EITHER; (1) A TWICE WEEKLY IYENGAR YOGA, OR (2) A TWICE-WEEKLY PROGRAM OF STANDARD EXERCISE (SE). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOMES ASSESSED FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, STUDY COMPLETION, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED HBA1C, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND MEASURES OF DIABETES-RELATED EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, SELF-CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). ASSESSMENTS WERE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, END OF TREATMENT, 6-MONTHS AND 9-MONTHS POST-ENROLLMENT. RESULTS: OF 175 ADULTS SCREENED FOR ELIGIBILITY, 48 (30 WOMEN, 18 MEN) WERE ELIGIBLE AND ENROLLED. THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR INELIGIBILITY WERE ORTHOPEDIC RESTRICTIONS, HBA1C LEVELS <6.5 AND BMI > 42. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH (82% OF SESSIONS ATTENDED), AS WAS FOLLOW-UP COMPLETION RATES (92%). PROGRAM SATISFACTION RATED ON A 5-POINT SCALE, WAS HIGH AMONG BOTH YOGA (M = 4.63, SD = 0.57) AND SE (M = 4.77, SD = 0.52) PARTICIPANTS. OVERALL 44 ADVERSE EVENTS (26 YOGA, 18 SE) WERE REPORTED. OF THESE, SIX WERE DEEMED "POSSIBLY RELATED" (E.G., NECK STRAIN, BACK PAIN), AND 1 "PROBABLY RELATED" (ANKLE PAIN AFTER TREADMILL) TO THE STUDY. YOGA PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN HBA1C. MEDIAN HBA1C AT 6 MONTHS WAS 1.25 UNITS LOWER FOR YOGA COMPARED TO SE (95% CI: -2.54 -0.04). GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN DIABETES SELF-CARE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS WERE SEEN AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS THAN AMONG SE PARTICIPANTS. INCREASES IN MINDFULNESS WERE SEEN IN YOGA BUT NOT IN SE. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PRODUCED IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOOD GLUCOSE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MEASURES OF DIABETES MANAGEMENT. 2019 6 1902 41 RESTORATIVE YOGA IN ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: METABOLIC SYNDROME INCREASES THE RISK OF DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. YOGA IMPROVES SOME METABOLIC PARAMETERS, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED IN PERSONS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE IN UNDERACTIVE, OVERWEIGHT ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. METHODS: TWENTY SIX UNDERACTIVE, OVERWEIGHT ADULT MEN AND WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WERE RANDOMIZED TO ATTEND 15 YOGA SESSIONS OF 90 MINUTES EACH OVER 10 WEEKS OR TO A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. FEASIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, SUBJECT RETENTION, AND ADHERENCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED BY INTERVIEW AND QUESTIONNAIRES. CHANGES IN METABOLIC OUTCOMES AND QUESTIONNAIRE MEASURES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 10 WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 280 PEOPLE WERE SCREENED BY PHONE, AND 93 WITH HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF METABOLIC SYNDROME WERE INVITED TO A SCREENING VISIT. OF THE 68 WHO ATTENDED SCREENING VISITS, 26 (38%) WERE RANDOMIZED, AND 24 (92%) COMPLETED THE TRIAL. ATTENDANCE AT YOGA CLASSES AND ADHERENCE TO HOME PRACTICE EXCEEDED OUR GOALS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, ALL PARTICIPANTS GAVE THE STUDY THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE SATISFACTION RATING, AND THE MAJORITY (87%) FELT THAT THE YOGA POSES WERE EASY TO PERFORM. THERE WAS TREND TO REDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE (P = 0.07), A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ENERGY LEVEL (P < 0.009), AND TRENDS TO IMPROVEMENT IN WELL-BEING (P < 0.12) AND STRESS (P < 0.22) IN THE YOGA VERSUS CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: RESTORATIVE YOGA WAS A FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR IMPROVING METABOLIC PARAMETERS IN THIS POPULATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED IN A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. 2008 7 501 50 COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR THERAPY FOR DIABETES BUT ITS EFFICACY IS CONTESTED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF RESEARCHING COMMUNITY BASED YOGA CLASSES IN TYPE 2 DIABETES WITH A VIEW TO INFORMING THE DESIGN OF A DEFINITIVE, MULTI-CENTRE TRIAL METHODS: THE STUDY DESIGN WAS AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH IN-DEPTH PROCESS EVALUATION. THE SETTING WAS TWO MULTI-ETHNIC BOROUGHS IN LONDON, UK; ONE WITH AVERAGE AND ONE WITH LOW MEAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION SCORE. CLASSES WERE HELD AT A SPORTS CENTRE OR GP SURGERY. PARTICIPANTS WERE 59 PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES NOT TAKING INSULIN, RECRUITED FROM GENERAL PRACTICE LISTS OR OPPORTUNISTICALLY BY GENERAL PRACTICE STAFF. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WERE OFFERED 12 WEEKS OF A TWICE-WEEKLY 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASS; THE CONTROL GROUP WAS A WAITING LIST FOR THE YOGA CLASSES. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ADVICE AND LEAFLETS ON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO EXERCISE. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HBA1C. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED ATTENDANCE, WEIGHT, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, LIPID LEVELS, BLOOD PRESSURE, UKPDS CARDIOVASCULAR RISK SCORE, DIABETES-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (ADDQOL), AND SELF-EFFICACY. PROCESS MEASURES WERE ATTENDANCE AT YOGA SESSIONS, SELF-REPORTED FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE BETWEEN TAUGHT SESSIONS, AND QUALITATIVE DATA (INTERVIEWS WITH PATIENTS AND THERAPISTS, ETHNOGRAPHIC OBSERVATION OF THE YOGA CLASSES, AND ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS INCLUDING MINUTES OF MEETINGS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EXERCISE PLANS). RESULTS: DESPITE BROAD INCLUSION CRITERIA, AROUND TWO-THIRDS OF THE PATIENTS ON GP DIABETIC REGISTERS PROVED INELIGIBLE, AND 90% OF THE REMAINDER DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE. MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS 60 +/- 10 YEARS. ATTENDANCE AT YOGA CLASSES WAS AROUND 50%. NOBODY DID THE EXERCISES REGULARLY AT HOME. YOGA TEACHERS FELT THAT MOST PARTICIPANTS WERE UNSUITABLE FOR 'STANDARD' YOGA EXERCISES BECAUSE OF LIMITED FLEXIBILITY, LACK OF BASIC FITNESS, CO-MORBIDITY, AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE. THERE WAS A SMALL FALL IN HBA1C IN THE YOGA GROUP WHICH WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND WHICH WAS NOT SUSTAINED SIX MONTHS LATER, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OTHER OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSION: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN TYPE 2 DIABETES SUGGESTED IN SOME PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE NOT CONFIRMED. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS (APART FROM LACK OF EFFICACY) INCLUDE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES; PRACTICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE; PHYSICAL AND MOTIVATIONAL BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN THE EXERCISES; INADEQUATE INTENSITY AND/OR DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION; AND INSUFFICIENT PERSONALISATION OF EXERCISES TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. ALL THESE FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN DESIGNING FUTURE TRIALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NATIONAL RESEARCH REGISTER (1410) AND CURRENT CONTROLLED TRIALS (ISRCTN63637211). 2009 8 115 28 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 9 2837 40 YOGA'S IMPACT ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR DISORDERED EATING: A PILOT PREVENTION TRIAL. YOGA HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR EATING DISORDERS, BUT FEW PREVENTION TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA SERIES IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE 50-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES/WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED A 3-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING) OR A CONTROL GROUP. RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 5 AND 10 WEEKS, INCLUDED BODY DISSATISFACTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND MINDFULNESS. MIXED MODELS CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS OF OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RUN. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 20 OUT OF 30 YOGA CLASSES, AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA SERIES. APPEARANCE ORIENTATION DECREASED AND POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER POSITIVE AFFECT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES IN OTHER OUTCOMES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. FUTURE YOGA RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING EDUCATION ABOUT BODY IMAGE, MEASURE AND SAMPLE SELECTION, AND USE OF AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORK. 2020 10 2609 44 YOGA FOR QUALITY OF LIFE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, STROKE, CANCER, AND CHRONIC PULMONARY DISEASE ARE THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. COMPOUNDING SYMPTOMS AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, PEOPLE LIVING WITH CHRONIC DISEASE OFTEN EXPERIENCE REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRACTICES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO RELIEVE STRESS AND IMPROVE QOL. YOGA IS A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRACTICE THAT MAY BE A VIABLE APPROACH FOR IMPROVING QOL IN PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE AND SUMMARIZE THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. DESIGN: THE STUDY DESIGN WAS A A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS. METHODS: WE INCLUDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS THAT EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON QOL OR HEALTH-RELATED QOL (HRQOL) FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. WE INCLUDED ONLY STUDIES THAT USED AT LEAST 1 PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED MEASURE OF QOL OR HRQOL AND SPECIFIED A MINIMUM DURATION OF FOLLOW-UP OF AT LEAST 1 WK. INTERVENTIONS: WE INCLUDED BOTH MOVEMENT-BASED AND BREATH-BASED YOGA PRACTICES. STUDIES THAT INCLUDED YOGA AS PART OF A LARGER INTERVENTION PROGRAM (EG, MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING) OR STUDIES THAT DID NOT PROVIDE FINDINGS SPECIFIC TO YOGA WERE EXCLUDED. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME ANALYZED WAS IMPROVEMENT IN QOL AS MEASURED BY A VALIDATED QOL OR HRQOL SCALE. RESULTS: AMONG THE 1488 STUDIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED ON INITIAL SEARCH, 7 ARTICLES MET ALL INCLUSION CRITERIA. FIVE STUDIES REPORTED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER USUAL CARE ALONE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, BUT THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIFFERENCES WAS CLEAR IN ONLY 1 TRIAL. WE FOUND CONSIDERABLE HETEROGENEITY AMONG THE INCLUDED STUDIES AND STUDY QUALITY WAS GENERALLY LOW. CONCLUSIONS: MORE HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVING QOL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. 2019 11 283 40 ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND ITS RESULTANT EFFECTS ON BLOOD GLUCOSE IN TYPE 2 DIABETES: A COMMUNITY-BASED FOLLOW-UP STUDY. AIM: TO STUDY THE ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND ITS EFFECTS ON BLOOD GLUCOSE PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. METHODS: A SINGLE GROUP LONGITUDINAL STUDY OVER 6 MONTHS WAS CONDUCTED AT VASK YOGA CENTRE, BANGALORE. FASTING BLOOD SUGAR, POST PRANDIAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AND GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN AND QUALITATIVE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND THERAPIST WAS CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, END OF 3(RD) MONTH AND END OF 6 MONTHS; INTERMEDIATE OBSERVATIONS WAS CONDUCTED AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH. RESULTS: ADHERENCE TO YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY IN BANGALORE IS AROUND 50% OVER 6 MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA PROGRAMME HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HBA1C (END OF 3(RD) MONTH). AT THE END OF 6 MONTHS YOGA ADHERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH FBS AND STRESS. FURTHER THERE WAS A TREND TOWARDS THOSE WHO DROPPED OUT HAVING HIGHER FBS, CONTROLLING FOR MEDICATION INTAKE, STRESS LEVELS AND DIET PATTERN (OR = 1.027, P = 0.07). QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS JOINED AND COMPLETED THE YOGA PROGRAMME TO HELP CURE THEIR DIABETES. PARTICIPANTS WHO DROPPED OUT FROM THE YOGA PROGRAMME GAVE REASONS OF TRAVEL, ILL-HEALTH AND INCREASED WORK-LOAD AT OFFICE. CONCLUSIONS: ADHERENCE TO YOGA HAS AN EFFECT ON THE BLOOD GLUCOSE PARAMETERS IN DIABETES. HENCE, STRATEGIES TO MOTIVATE PARTICIPANTS TO UNDERGO 'LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PRACTICES' INCLUDING MAXIMIZING ADHERENCE TO YOGA SHOULD BE THE FOCUS TO EXPERIENCE ANY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA. 2017 12 1854 55 RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A 12 WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES, CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS ARE SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, PARTICULARLY IN CARDIAC AND POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION POPULATIONS.YOGA IS A BALANCED PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, BREATHING CONTROL AND MEDITATION THAT CAN REDUCE PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO POSITIVELY AFFECT MULTIPLE DISEASE PATHWAYS AND MAY PROVE TO BE A PRACTICAL ADJUNCT TO CARDIAC REHABILITATION IN FURTHER REDUCING CARDIAC RISK FACTORS AS WELL AS IMPROVING SELF-EFFICACY AND POST-CARDIAC REHABILITATION ADHERENCE TO HEALTHY LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOURS. METHOD AND DESIGN: THIS IS A PARALLEL ARM, MULTI-CENTRE, RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL THAT WILL ASSESS THE OUTCOMES OF POST- PHASE 2 CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS ASSIGNED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION IN COMPARISON TO A NO-TREATMENT WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMISED TO THE YOGA GROUP WILL ENGAGE IN A 12 WEEK YOGA PROGRAM COMPRISING OF TWO GROUP BASED SESSIONS AND ONE SELF-ADMINISTERED HOME SESSION EACH WEEK. GROUP BASED SESSIONS WILL BE LED BY AN EXPERIENCED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. THIS WILL INVOLVE TEACHING BEGINNER STUDENTS A HATHA YOGA SEQUENCE THAT INCORPORATES ASANA (POSES AND POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING CONTROL) AND MEDITATION. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES OF THIS STUDY ARE NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS ASSESSED USING THE DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDE MEASURES OF QUALITY OF LIFE, AND CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. THE CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, HEART RATE VARIABILITY, PULSE WAVE VELOCITY, CAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS, LIPID/GLUCOSE PROFILES AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN ASSAYS. ASSESSMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED PRIOR TO (WEEK 0), MID-WAY THROUGH (WEEK 6) AND FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (WEEK 12) AS WELL AS AT A FOUR WEEK FOLLOW-UP (WEEK 16). DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES, CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN POST-PHASE 2 CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS. THE FINDINGS MAY PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO INCORPORATE YOGA INTO STANDARDISED CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AS A PRACTICAL ADJUNCT TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING PATIENTS' COGNITIVE AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12612000358842. 2014 13 1552 44 LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION IN BLOOD PRESSURE STUDY II (LIMBS): STUDY PROTOCOL OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF A 24 WEEK STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM VERSUS LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION ON BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION. HYPERTENSION IS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE AFFECTING 68 MILLION ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS INCLUDING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS THE MOVEMENT BASED MIND BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS A POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE TO MEDICATION IN BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION. WE COMPLETED A PILOT STUDY IN 2009 WHICH SHOWED MEANINGFUL DECREASES IN 24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE READINGS AFTER A 12 WEEK PERIOD OF YOGA PARTICIPATION. BASED ON DATA FROM OUR PILOT STUDY WE ARE NOW COMPLETING THE LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND BLOOD PRESSURE STUDY (LIMBS II) WHICH IS A PHASE 2 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY AND ENHANCED LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION ON LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE IN PRE-HYPERTENSIVE AND STAGE 1 HYPERTENSIVE SUBJECTS. USING 24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING, LIMBS II AIMS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS ON BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION IN SUBJECTS RANDOMIZED FOR 24 WEEKS TO ONE OF THE THREE FOLLOWING GROUPS: YOGA THERAPY VERSUS BLOOD PRESSURE EDUCATION PROGRAM (SODIUM RESTRICTION AND WALKING PROGRAM) VERSUS A COMBINATION PROGRAM THAT INVOLVES COMPONENTS OF BOTH GROUPS. LIMBS II WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE IMPACT THAT CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE HAVE ON CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE LIMBS STUDY WILL DETERMINE IF YOGA THERAPY COMBINED WITH ENHANCED LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION WILL RESULT IN CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL DECREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND THUS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRUG THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH PREHYPERTENSION AND STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION. 2013 14 976 38 EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM WITH HEALTH EDUCATION AND HATHA YOGA ON THE HEALTH OF PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. INTRODUCTION: MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS ARE RELEVANT IN THE WORKERS' DISEASE PROCESS, AND ERGONOMIC INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDE GUIDANCE AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE CONSIST OF STRATEGIES OF HEALTH PROMOTION. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES ARE PRESENTED AS A POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND YOGA CONSISTS OF A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS IN PROFESSIONALS OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. METHODS: WE SELECTED 125 PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS OF INTENSITY >/= 1 WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED THEM TO INTERVENTION (N = 63) AND CONTROL (N = 62) GROUPS, REQUESTING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION, THE NORDIC MUSCULOSKELETAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND A NUMERIC SCALE, THE PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WENT THROUGH A 12-WEEK PROGRAM WITH EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA. AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD, BOTH GROUPS ANSWERED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES ONCE AGAIN. WE COMPARED DATA BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS PRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA COLLECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEVELS OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS DECREASED MORE STRONGLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEGAN THE PROGRAM IN WORSE CLINICAL CONDITIONS, THE PROGRAM LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP TO REACH BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE INTERVENTION PROMOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INTENSITY OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP. SIMILAR PROGRAMS COULD BE EXPLORED IN THE PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. 2020 15 2235 30 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 16 1684 33 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 17 1243 45 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA, AEROBIC AND STRETCHING-TONING EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STAYFIT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG CLINICAL POPULATIONS AND OLDER ADULTS WHO USE THIS PRACTICE TO MANAGE AGE AND CHRONIC DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH YOGA CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS, PILOT STUDIES THAT EXAMINE ITS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, ARE LIMITED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE TARGET POPULATION IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGER SCALE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY DATA FROM A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) CONDUCTED WITH ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS N = 78 (MEAN AGE: 55 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, OR STRETCHING-TONING CONTROL GROUP WITH GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES HELD FOR 150 MIN/WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. HEREIN WE REPORT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, ATTRITION AND ADVERSE EVENTS, AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK AND SATISFACTION DATA. RESULTS: OF THE 233 ADULTS SCREENED, 109 WERE ELIGIBLE AND 78 RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THE THREE INTERVENTION ARMS. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH FOR ALL GROUPS (75.5-89.5%) AND 17 PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS HIGH (4.8 OR HIGHER OUT OF 5) AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. ONE COHORT (N = 15) OF THE INTERVENTION TRANSITIONED TO REMOTE INTERVENTION DELIVERY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FEASIBILITY DATA FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED THAT SYNCHRONIZED GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES VIA ZOOM WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR WERE ACCEPTABLE AND ENJOYABLE. PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK REGARDING MOST AND LEAST HELPFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE. THE FEASIBILITY PARAMETERS FROM THIS TRIAL CAN AID RESEARCHERS IN ESTIMATING RECRUITMENT RATES FOR DESIRED SAMPLE SIZES TO SUCCESSFULLY RANDOMIZE AND RETAIN CANCER SURVIVORS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA-BASED EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. THE FINDINGS ALSO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO CLINICIANS WHO CAN RECOMMEND UP TO 150 MIN OF A COMBINATION OF EXERCISES-AEROBIC, YOGA, OR STRETCHING-TONING TO THEIR CANCER PATIENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP. 2021 18 2025 29 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 19 2834 39 YOGA'S EFFECT ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN A HIGH RISK POPULATION - A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE. BACKGROUND: YOGA CAN REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE AND HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED TO REDUCE INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS). WE AIMED TO ASSESS THE BENEFIT OF TWO YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN A HIGH RISK POPULATION IN PRIMARY CARE. METHODS: ADULT PATIENTS FROM A HEALTH CARE CENTER IN SWEDEN, WITH DIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION, WERE INVITED TO UNDERGO A BASELINE CHECK AT THE HEALTH CARE CENTER. BASELINE CHECK INCLUDED STANDARDIZED BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT, BMI AND WEIGHT CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS, BLOOD SAMPLING (HS-CRP, IL-6, FP-GLUCOSE, HBA1C, CHOLESTEROL, TG, LDL AND HDL) AND A QUESTIONNAIRE ON SELF-RATED QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL-BREF). THERE WERE THREE GROUPS: 1) YOGA CLASS WITH YOGA INSTRUCTOR; 2) YOGA AT HOME; AND 3) A CONTROL GROUP. IN TOTAL, 83 PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED AND MATCHED AT THE GROUP LEVEL FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. A MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS (92 %) WERE ON ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICATION, WHICH THEY WERE REQUESTED NOT TO CHANGE DURING THE STUDY. AFTER 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION, THE ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED AGAIN. RESULTS: WE RECORDED NO EVIDENCE THAT YOGA ALTERED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS OR METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN OUR STUDY POPULATION. A TOTAL OF 49 PARTICIPANTS (59 %) MET THE CRITERIA FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS PERFORMED IN OUR STUDY DID NOT AFFECT INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS OR METABOLIC RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CVD IN THE STUDY POPULATION OF PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. FURTHER RANDOMIZED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO ELUCIDATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CVD RISK FACTORS IN THIS PARTICULAR GROUP. TRAIL REGISTRATION: NCT01302535 , FEBRUARY 22, 2011. 2015 20 279 37 ADHERENCE AND RETENTION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION: THE EFFECTS OF HEALTH PROMOTING PROGRAMS ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK STUDY. OBJECTIVES: SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE IS A RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). FEW ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA PRACTICE, FOCUS ON AFRICAN AMERICANS (AA), THE POPULATION MOST VULNERABLE TO CVD. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO COMPARE THE RETENTION AND ADHERENCE RATES BETWEEN YOGA, WALKING, AND HEALTH EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS WHILE PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACCEPTANCE OF VARIOUS YOGA REGIMENS. DESIGN: THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE AA PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED EXCLUSIVELY FROM AN ACTIVE COHORT STUDY AND RANDOMIZED INTO A 48-WEEK STUDY (24 WEEKS INTERVENTION, 24 WEEKS FOLLOW-UP) WITH 5 HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTIONS: HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA, MODERATE FREQUENCY YOGA, LOW FREQUENCY YOGA, GUIDED WALKING, AND HEALTH EDUCATION. IN ADDITION TO EXAMINING THE SEPARATE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, A POOLED YOGA INTERVENTION IS CONSIDERED FOR COMPARISON TO GUIDED WALKING AND HEALTH EDUCATION. PARTICIPANT RETENTION, ADHERENCE, AND VITALS WERE MONITORED AT EACH INTERVENTION SESSION. PARTICIPANTS WERE ALSO SCHEDULED FOR FOUR CLINIC VISITS THROUGHOUT THE STUDY WHERE BLOOD PANELS, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, AND MEDICATION SURVEYS WERE ADMINISTERED. RESULTS: OF THE 375 PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED, 31.7% DID NOT COMPLETE THE STUDY. AT BASELINE, IN BOTH THE GUIDED WALKING GROUP AND THE HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA GROUP, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE STUDY AND THOSE WHO DID NOT. ALTHOUGH INTERVENTION RETENTION IN THE POOLED YOGA PROGRAM (78.3%) WAS HIGHER COMPARED TO THE WALKING (60%) AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS (74.3%) (P = 0.007), DIFFERENCES IN POST-INTERVENTION RETENTION WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. MEDIAN ADHERENCE RATES FOR THE POOLED YOGA PROGRAM EXCEEDED RATES FOR GUIDED WALKING AND EDUCATION WITH MODERATE FREQUENCY YOGA OUT PERFORMING HIGH AND LOW FREQUENCY YOGA. CONCLUSION: STUDY-DEFINED RETENTION SUCCESS RATES WERE NOT REACHED BY ALL HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, RETENTION AND ADHERENCE RATES FOR THE POOLED YOGA PROGRAM SHOW THAT OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE RECEPTIVE TO PARTICIPATING IN YOGA-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION PRACTICES. 2020