1 2446 122 YOGA AND TAI CHI: A MIND-BODY APPROACH IN MANAGING RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASES. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) IS CHARACTERIZED BY AIRFLOW LIMITATION BECAUSE OF AIRWAY AND/OR ALVEOLAR ABNORMALITIES. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE DYSPNEA, COUGH, CHRONIC SPUTUM PRODUCTION. AS THE THIRD-RANKED CAUSE OF DEATH AS WELL AS DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALYS), IT POSES A SIGNIFICANT BURDEN ON PATIENTS, FAMILIES, HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND SOCIETY. REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS LINKED TO DECREASE IN MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH COPD, BUT IMPLEMENTATION REMAINS CHALLENGING. THERE IS A NEED FOR COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA AND TAI CHI ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL IN PATIENTS WITH COPD AS WELL AS MANY OF THE CO-MORBID CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COPD. RECENT FINDINGS: YOGA AND TAI CHI HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN USUAL CARE IN COPD WITH CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 S (FEV1), AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND TO BE COMPARABLE TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION INTERVENTIONS. SUMMARY: YOGA AND TAI CHI PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH COPD TO IMPROVE THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. 2020 2 1675 27 OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION & CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: EFFICACY OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. OBESITY IS A GLOBAL HEALTH BURDEN AND ITS PREVALENCE IS INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY DUE TO CHANGING LIFESTYLE. CHRONIC ADIPOSITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH METABOLIC IMBALANCE LEADING TO DYSLIPIDAEMIA, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVD). ADIPOSE TISSUE ACTS AS AN ENDOCRINE ORGAN RELEASING SEVERAL ADIPOCYTOKINES, AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF TISSUE AND CIRCULATING INFLAMMATORY BIOMOLECULES CAUSING VASCULAR INFLAMMATION AND ATHEROGENESIS. FURTHER, INFLAMMATION IS ALSO ASSOCIATED INDEPENDENTLY WITH OBESITY AS WELL AS CVD. KEEPING THIS IN VIEW, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A REDUCTION IN WEIGHT MAY LEAD TO A DECREASE IN INFLAMMATION, RESULTING IN CVD RISK REDUCTION, AND BETTER MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CVD. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY SEVERAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING OPTION IN REDUCING THE RISK FOR CVD AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CVD AS IT IS SIMPLE TO FOLLOW AND COST-EFFECTIVE WITH HIGH COMPLIANCE. THE EFFICACY OF SUCH LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES IS MULTIFACETED, AND IS ACHIEVED VIA REDUCTION IN WEIGHT, OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION AND STRESS, THEREBY CULMINATING INTO RISK REDUCTION TOWARDS SEVERAL CHRONIC DISEASES INCLUDING CVD. IN THIS REVIEW, THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION AND CVD, AND THE ROLE OF YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CVD ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 3 2858 29 YOGA-BASED CARDIAC REHABILITATION: CURRENT PERSPECTIVES FROM RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE CARRIES A HIGH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WORLDWIDE, AND EXERCISE-BASED CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES PLAY A LARGE ROLE IN SECONDARY PREVENTION. EXERCISE-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES ARE EXPENSIVE, AND IN CERTAIN SUBGROUPS UPTAKE IS POOR. YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO SHOW IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH WHICH WOULD SUPPORT ITS USE IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES. WE CARRIED OUT A REVIEW OF CURRENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS TO DETERMINE IF YOGA-BASED CARDIAC REHABILITATION LEADS TO REDUCED CARDIAC RISK FACTORS, AND IMPROVED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE COMPARED TO STANDARD CARE. SIX RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES WERE IDENTIFIED AFTER A MEDICAL DATABASE SEARCH, AND META-ANALYSIS WAS CARRIED OUT FOR THE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES. OVERALL, THE ADDITION OF YOGA TO STANDARD CARE RESULTED IN IMPROVED SUBJECTIVE FEELING OF CARDIAC HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE WAS ALSO A TREND TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT IN LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC FUNCTION. IMPROVEMENT IN CARDIAC RISK FACTORS, MACE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN THIS COHORT HAS STILL TO BE PROVEN, BUT WAS NOT INFERIOR TO STANDARD OR ENHANCED CARE, AND THE BENEFITS BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED AT LONGER FOLLOW-UP. FUTURE STUDIES WITH LONGER FOLLOW-UP AND LARGER PATIENT NUMBERS WOULD AID IN ACCURATELY ASSESSING THE LONG-TERM BENEFIT OF YOGA-BASED REHABILITATION. 2021 4 2412 28 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 5 1927 30 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 6 2609 49 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 7 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 8 786 44 EFFECT OF YOGA BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) ON EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: PULMONARY REHABILITATION IMPROVES EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD). HOWEVER, MANY PATIENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT AN ALTERNATIVE TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION TO IMPROVE EXERCISE TOLERANCE IS THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA, OR YOGA BREATHING, WHICH COULD BE DONE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME. WE ALSO SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA NONPROFESSIONALS COULD ADEQUATELY TEACH PRANAYAMA TO PATIENTS. DESIGN: PROOF-OF-CONCEPT, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. SETTINGS/LOCATION: TWO ACADEMIC PULMONARY PRACTICES. SUBJECTS: FORTY-THREE PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC, MODERATE-TO-SEVERE COPD. INTERVENTIONS: TWELVE WEEKS OF PRANAYAMA PLUS EDUCATION VERSUS EDUCATION ALONE. TWO YOGA PROFESSIONALS TRAINED THE RESEARCH COORDINATORS TO CONDUCT ALL PRANAYAMA TEACHING AND MONITORED THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHING AND THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA BY STUDY PARTICIPANTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS A CHANGE IN THE 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED CHANGES IN LUNG FUNCTION, MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, AND MEASURES OF DYSPNEA AND QUALITY OF LIFE. RESULTS: THE 6MWD INCREASED IN THE PRANAYAMA GROUP (LEAST SQUARE MEAN [95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL] = 28 M [-5 TO 61]) AND DECREASED IN THE CONTROL GROUP (-15 M [-47 TO 16]), WITH A NEARLY SIGNIFICANT TREATMENT EFFECT (P = 0.06) IN FAVOR OF PRANAYAMA. PRANAYAMA ALSO RESULTED IN SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN INSPIRATORY CAPACITY AND AIR TRAPPING. BOTH GROUPS HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN VARIOUS MEASURES OF SYMPTOMS, BUT NO OVERALL DIFFERENCES IN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM IMPEDANCE OR MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS OR SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED THAT PRANAYAMA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS WITH COPD. LAY PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ADEQUATELY TEACH PATIENTS TO PRACTICE PRANAYAMA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PRANAYAMA MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL BENEFITS FOR SYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS WITH COPD, A CONCEPT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED IN FUTURE, LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2017 9 2416 27 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 10 2490 22 YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION TO MANAGE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SYMPTOMS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE, DEMYELINATING, INFLAMMATORY DISEASE OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY SPASTICITY, FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BOWEL AND BLADDER DYSFUNCTION, IMPAIRED MOBILITY, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT ETC. AND AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. DISEASE MODIFYING THERAPIES FOR MS WHICH HELP IN PREVENTING ACCUMULATION OF LESIONS IN WHITE MATTER OF CNS ARE COSTLY AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS. THEREFORE, PATIENTS WITH MS ARE USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND YOGA IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF CAM WHICH IS BEING USED IMMENSELY TO REDUCE OR OVERCOME THE SYMPTOMS OF MS. IN THE CURRENT REVIEW ATTEMPTED TO PRESENT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON REDUCING MS RELATED SYMPTOMS. 2020 11 2268 22 THE RATIONALE OF YOGA IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A CRITICAL REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) COMMONLY USE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICATIONS. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION THAT IS BEING INCREASINGLY EXPLORED AS A TOOL IN THE THERAPEUTIC ARMAMENTARIUM OF PD. OBJECTIVE: TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE STUDIES AND SUMMARIZE THE UTILITY OF YOGA IN PD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: WE PERFORMED A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE MEDLINE AND COCHRANE DATABASES AND INCLUDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT) OF YOGA IN PD. THE STUDIES WERE EVALUATED FOR INTERNAL VALIDITY AND THE RELEVANT DATA WERE EXTRACTED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF SEVEN STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. WE COLLATED THE DATA ON THE CHANGES IN MOTOR FUNCTION, GAIT AND BALANCE PARAMETERS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES OBSERVED AFTER INTERVENTION (YOGA) IN PATIENTS WITH PD AND HIGHLIGHTED THE LIMITATIONS OF THESE STUDIES. CONCLUSION: ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND BALANCE ISSUES IN PD MAY BENEFIT FROM YOGA. YOGA HAS POTENTIAL AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN PD. 2021 12 2454 29 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 13 1141 26 EFFICACY OF YOGA, TAI CHI AND QI GONG ON THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: THE AIM OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO SUMMARIZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA, QI GONG OR TAI CHI IN COPD PATIENTS. METHODS: STUDIES EVALUATING EFFECTS OF THE SELECTED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES ON LUNG FUNCTION, DYSPNEA, QUALITY OF LIFE OR FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE CAPACITY IN COPD PATIENTS WERE IDENTIFIED AND REVIEWED FROM THREE DATABASES. RESULTS: EIGHTEEN STUDIES WERE INCLUDED. SIX STUDIES EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND THE OTHERS FOCUSED ON TAI CHI OR QI GONG SEPARATELY OR COMBINED. THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAMS RANGED FROM 6 WEEKS TO 6 MONTHS AND THE FREQUENCY FROM 2 TO 7 TIMES A WEEK. EACH SESSION REACHED 30 TO 90 MINUTES. BENEFITS WERE OBSERVED ON LUNG FUNCTION AND FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE CAPACITY BUT BENEFIT WAS CLEARLY STATED NEITHER ON QUALITY OF LIFE NOR ON DYSPNEA. CONCLUSION: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL OF THESE THERAPIES AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN COPD PATIENTS. 2019 14 2194 36 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS FOR PEOPLE WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE PARKINSON'S DISEASE: STUDY PRXOTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IS PREVALENT AMONG PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) AND AGGRAVATES THEIR MOTOR SYMPTOMS, THEREBY LEADING TO INCREASED DISABILITY, HIGH HEALTHCARE COSTS, AND POOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE UNDER-RECOGNITION AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AMONG THE PD POPULATION ARE CONSIDERABLE. THUS, ADOPTING A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT (CAM) APPROACH TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IS IMPORTANT. YOGA, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON "MIND-BODY" CAM THERAPIES, CAN IMPROVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. HOWEVER, LIMITED RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PEOPLE WITH PD HAS BEEN CONDUCTED. THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE PD AND WILL COMPARE THESE EFFECTS WITH THOSE OF STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES. METHODS: A COMMUNITY-BASED, SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED TRIAL WILL BE CONDUCTED. A TOTAL OF 126 SUBJECTS WILL BE RECRUITED AND RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA (N = 63) OR STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE (N = 63) GROUPS. FOR 8 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP WILL RECEIVE A WEEKLY 90-MIN SESSION OF YOGA, AND THE CONTROL GROUP WILL RECEIVE A WEEKLY 60-MIN SESSION OF STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE EXERCISES. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WILL BE THE LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS MEASURED USING THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE. THE SECONDARY OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE THE SEVERITY OF MOTOR SYMPTOMS MEASURED BY THE MOVEMENT DISORDERS SOCIETY - UNIFIED PARKINSON'S DISEASE SCALE - PART III MOTOR EXAMINATION; MOBILITY, BALANCE, AND FALL RISK MEASURED BY THE TIMED UP AND GO TEST; SPIRITUAL WELLBEING MEASURED BY THE HOLISTIC WELLBEING SCALE; AND HRQOL MEASURED BY THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE-8. ASSESSMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 8TH, AND 20TH WEEKS OF FOLLOW-UPS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL BE THE FIRST RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES IN A PD POPULATION. RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR MANAGING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN PD PATIENTS. MULTIPLE OUTCOMES INCLUDING PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND SPIRITUAL AND HRQOL WILL ALSO BE MEASURED TO ELUCIDATE THE POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES WILL FURTHER BE ELUCIDATED. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE RESEARCH, PRACTICE, AND POLICY RELATED TO PD MANAGEMENT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: WHO PRIMARY REGISTRY - CHINESE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY (CHICTR): CUHK_CCRB00522 REGISTERED ON 8 OCTOBER 2016; DATE OF APPROVAL 19 AUGUST 2016. 2017 15 1407 28 IMPACT OF YOGA ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: MANY CHRONIC CONDITIONS, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, CANCER, AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERLYING CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES. LITERATURE REVIEWS HAVE ANALYZED A VARIETY OF INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS UNIQUE IN REPORTING SOLELY ON YOGA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH INFLAMMATION. ITS PURPOSE WAS TO SYNTHESIZE CURRENT LITERATURE EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY-RELATED DISORDERS. METHOD: SEARCHES OF SEVERAL ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE CONDUCTED. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE (A) ENGLISH LANGUAGE, (B) SAMPLE AGE >18 YEARS OLD, (C) YOGA INTERVENTIONS INVOLVING POSTURES WITH OR WITHOUT YOGA BREATHING AND/OR MEDITATION, AND (D) MEASURED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS. RESULTS: THE FINAL REVIEW INCLUDED 15 PRIMARY STUDIES. OF THESE, SEVEN WERE RATED AS EXCELLENT AND EIGHT AS AVERAGE OR FAIR. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE VARIABILITY IN YOGA TYPES, COMPONENTS, FREQUENCY, SESSION LENGTH, INTERVENTION DURATION, AND INTENSITY. THE MOST COMMON BIOMARKERS MEASURED WERE INTERLEUKIN-6 ( N = 11), C-REACTIVE PROTEIN ( N = 10), AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ( N = 8). MOST STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS ( N = 11) FROM BASELINE TO POST YOGA INTERVENTION. ANALYSIS OF THE DOSE SHOWED HIGHER TOTAL DOSE (>1,000 MIN) RESULTED IN GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLAMMATION. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN BE A VIABLE INTERVENTION TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION ACROSS A MULTITUDE OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS. FUTURE STUDIES WITH DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, MEASUREMENT OF NEW AND WELL-ESTABLISHED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS, AND LARGER SAMPLE SIZES ARE WARRANTED TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND CORROBORATE RESULTS. 2019 16 2683 36 YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) ARE THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. ALTHOUGH INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO BENEFIT FROM YOGA, ITS EFFECTIVENESS REMAINS UNCLEAR. OBJECTIVE: TO PERFORM A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON EXERCISE CAPACITY, HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQL), AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE AND DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURE AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS. RESEARCH DESIGN: WE PERFORMED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND COPD COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. QUALITY WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. META-ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED USING REVIEW MANAGER 5.3. THE PROTOCOL WAS REGISTERED ON PROSPERO (CRD42014014589). RESULTS: TEN STUDIES (431 INDIVIDUALS, MEAN AGE 56+/-8 Y) WERE INCLUDED AND WERE COMPARABLE IN THEIR DESIGN AND COMPONENTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CHRONIC DISEASE. THE STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCE FOR THE MEAN CHANGE IN EXERCISE CAPACITY WAS 2.69 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, 1.39-3.99) AND FOR HRQL IT WAS 1.24 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -0.37 TO 2.85). SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY WERE REDUCED AFTER YOGA IN INDIVIDUALS WITH STROKE, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT OBSERVED IN INDIVIDUALS WITH COPD. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION VARIED ACROSS STUDIES WITH NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PROGRAMS HAVE SIMILAR DESIGNS AND COMPONENTS ACROSS CHRONIC DISEASE POPULATIONS. COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE, YOGA RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISE CAPACITY AND A MEAN IMPROVEMENT IN HRQL. YOGA PROGRAMS MAY BE A USEFUL ADJUNCT TO FORMAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. 2015 17 2245 30 THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA-BASED PROGRAMS ON RISK PROFILES IN ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY OFFER A SAFE AND COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (DM 2). HOWEVER, SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS ARE LACKING. THIS ARTICLE CRITICALLY REVIEWS THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PROGRAMS ON PHYSIOLOGIC AND ANTHROPOMETRIC RISK PROFILES AND RELATED CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH DM 2. WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH USING FOUR COMPUTERIZED ENGLISH AND INDIAN SCIENTIFIC DATABASES. THE SEARCH WAS RESTRICTED TO ORIGINAL STUDIES (1970-2006) THAT EVALUATED THE METABOLIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ADULTS WITH DM 2. STUDIES TARGETING CLINICAL POPULATIONS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS THAT INCLUDED ADULTS WITH COMORBID DM WERE ALSO EVALUATED. DATA WERE EXTRACTED REGARDING STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, TARGET POPULATION, INTERVENTION, COMPARISON GROUP OR CONDITION, OUTCOME ASSESSMENT, DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION, FOLLOW-UP, AND KEY RESULTS, AND THE QUALITY OF EACH STUDY WAS EVALUATED ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC PREDETERMINED CRITERIA. WE IDENTIFIED 25 ELIGIBLE STUDIES, INCLUDING 15 UNCONTROLLED TRIALS, 6 NON-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS). OVERALL, THESE STUDIES SUGGEST BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN SEVERAL RISK INDICES, INCLUDING GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY, LIPID PROFILES, ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, BLOOD PRESSURE, OXIDATIVE STRESS, COAGULATION PROFILES, SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND PULMONARY FUNCTION, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENT IN SPECIFIC CLINICAL OUTCOMES. YOGA MAY IMPROVE RISK PROFILES IN ADULTS WITH DM 2, AND MAY HAVE PROMISE FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN THIS POPULATION. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS CHARACTERIZING MOST STUDIES PRECLUDE DRAWING FIRM CONCLUSIONS. ADDITIONAL HIGH-QUALITY RCTS ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM AND FURTHER ELUCIDATE THE EFFECTS OF STANDARDIZED YOGA PROGRAMS IN POPULATIONS WITH DM 2. 2007 18 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 19 838 30 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS ON CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS. INTRODUCTION: PATIENTS ON CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS SUFFER FROM A MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH DIALYSIS INCLUDING INCREASED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DECONDITIONING, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AND DECREASED HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON DISTRESS AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN PATIENTS ON CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS IS UNKNOWN. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY, PAPERS WERE REVIEWED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF INTRADIALYSIS YOGA ON DISTRESS AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS. METHODS: THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW EXAMINED STUDIES PUBLISHED IN PUBMED, CINAHL AND PSYCHINFO. THE SEARCH TERMS INCLUDED: YOGA, HEMODIALYSIS, DIALYSIS. RESULTS: TWO RCTS MET THE CRITERIA. YOGA SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN SEVERAL OUTCOMES INCLUDING: QUALITY OF LIFE, PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, PHYSICAL FUNCTION AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF BIOCHEMICAL VARIABLES. FURTHER WELL DESIGNED RCTS NEED TO BE CONDUCTED. 2019 20 826 30 EFFECT OF YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN PATIENTS WITH CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS. METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED ON THE PUBMED-NCBI, EBSCO HOST, COCHRANE LIBRARY, SCOPUS AND SCIENCEDIRECT DATABASES UNTIL 05 APRIL 2021. ONLY RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH OR FRENCH WERE INCLUDED AND HAD TO COMPARE YOGA TO ANOTHER INTERVENTION GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP. THEY ALSO HAD TO CLEARLY MEASURE HRQOL. METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY WAS ASSESSED WITH THE REVISED COCHRANE RISK-OF-BIAS TOOL FOR RANDOMIZED TRIALS AND THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE WAS EVALUATED USING THE GRADING OF RECOMMENDATIONS ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION (GRADE) CRITERIA. RESULTS: SIXTEEN STUDIES WERE FOUND, INCLUDING SIX FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, FIVE FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE, TWO FOR STROKE, ONE FOR DEMENTIA, ONE FOR EPILEPSY AND ONE FOR BRAIN TUMOUR. ONLY 12 STUDIES PERFORMED BETWEEN-GROUP STATISTICS AND 8 FOUND A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS AFTER TREATMENT. WHEN YOGA WAS COMPARED TO NO INTERVENTION, THE RESULTS WERE GENERALLY IN FAVOUR OF THE YOGA GROUP, BUT WHEN YOGA WAS COMPARED TO ANOTHER INTERVENTION PROGRAMME, THERE WAS GENERALLY NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT HRQOL QUESTIONNAIRES, EVEN WITHIN THE SAME DISEASE, WHICH REDUCES THE COMPARABILITY OF STUDIES. CONCLUSIONS: WITH LOW TO MODERATE QUALITY OF THE EVIDENCE, YOGA SEEMS EFFECTIVE TO IMPROVE HRQOL IN PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, STROKE, DEMENTIA, EPILEPSY AND BRAIN TUMOUR, THE QUALITY OF THE EVIDENCE IS STILL INSUFFICIENT TO CONCLUDE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA. 2021