1 2169 123 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: WHILE PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN NORMAL PREGNANCIES, THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES FOR THE FIRST TIME. METHODS: 68 HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO MATERNITY HOSPITALS IN BENGALURU, INDIA AND WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP (N=30) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS ONE-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS, THREE TIMES A WEEK, FROM THE 12TH TO THE 28TH WEEK OF GESTATION. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=38) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS CONVENTIONAL ANTENATAL EXERCISES (WALKING) DURING THE SAME PERIOD. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH), PREECLAMPSIA, GESTATIONAL DIABETES (GDM) AND INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION (IUGR) CASES WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.018, 0.042, 0.049, 0.05 RESPECTIVELY). SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE (SGA) BABIES AND NEWBORNS WITH LOW APGAR SCORES (P=0.006) WERE BORN IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.033). CONCLUSION: THIS FIRST RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POTENTIALLY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY IN REDUCING HYPERTENSIVE RELATED COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND IMPROVING FETAL OUTCOMES. ADDITIONAL DATA IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS AND BETTER EXPLAIN THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA. 2012 2 2145 30 THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS EATING AND YOGA EXERCISE ON BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS OF PREGNANT WOMEN WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS. AIM: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS CARRIED OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS EATING AND YOGA EXERCISE ON BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AMONG PREGNANT THAI WOMEN WITH GDM. BACKGROUND: INTERVENTIONS PROMOTING ACHIEVEMENT OF GOOD GLYCEMIC CONTROL RESULT IN DESIRED PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS EATING AND YOGA EXERCISE ON BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AMONG PREGNANT WITH GDM. METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS CARRIED OUT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CAPILLARY FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, 2-H POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND HEMOGLOBIN A1C. RESULTS: THE INTERVENTION GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, 2-H POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN (HBA1C) IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS EATING AND YOGA EXERCISE HAD HEALTH BENEFITS ON GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH GDM. IT SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED IN CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES. 2014 3 1092 55 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON UTERO-FETAL-PLACENTAL CIRCULATION IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION. IMPAIRED PLACENTATION AND INADEQUATE TROPHOBLAST INVASION HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE ETIOLOGY OF MANY PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND HAVE BEEN CORRELATED WITH THE FIRST TRIMESTER UTERINE ARTERY RESISTANCE. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PREGNANCY OUTCOMES AND THOSE OF YOGIC VISUALIZATION IN REVITALIZING THE HUMAN TISSUES. METHODS. 59 HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 27) AND CONTROL (N = 32) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS YOGA SESSIONS (1 HOUR/DAY, 3 TIMES/WEEK), FROM 12TH TO 28TH WEEK OF GESTATION. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS CONVENTIONAL ANTENATAL EXERCISES (WALKING). MEASUREMENTS WERE ASSESSED AT 12TH, 20TH, AND 28TH WEEKS OF GESTATION. RESULTS. RM-ANOVA SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER VALUES IN THE YOGA GROUP (28TH WEEK) FOR BIPARIETAL DIAMETER (P = 0.001), HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE (P = 0.002), FEMUR LENGTH (P = 0.005), AND ESTIMATED FETAL WEIGHT (P = 0.019). THE RESISTANCE INDEX IN THE RIGHT UTERINE ARTERY (P = 0.01), UMBILICAL ARTERY (P = 0.011), AND FETAL MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERY (P = 0.048) SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IMPEDANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION. THE RESULTS OF THIS FIRST RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY SUGGEST THAT GUIDED YOGIC PRACTICES AND VISUALIZATION CAN IMPROVE THE INTRAUTERINE FETAL GROWTH AND THE UTERO-FETAL-PLACENTAL CIRCULATION. 2015 4 534 33 COMPARISON OF YOGA AND WALKING-EXERCISE ON CARDIAC TIME INTERVALS AS A MEASURE OF CARDIAC FUNCTION IN ELDERLY WITH INCREASED PULSE PRESSURE. OBJECTIVE: ARTERIAL AGING ALONG WITH INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE(BP) HAS BECOME THE MAJOR CARDIOVASCULAR(CV) RISK IN ELDERLY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM AND WALKING-EXERCISE ON CARDIAC FUNCTION IN ELDERLY WITH INCREASED PULSE PRESSURE (PP). METHODS: AN OPEN LABEL, PARALLEL-GROUP RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY DESIGN WAS ADOPTED. ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS AGED >/=60 YEARS WITH PP>/=60MMHG WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. YOGA (STUDY) GROUP (N=30) WAS ASSIGNED FOR YOGA TRAINING AND WALKING (EXERCISE) GROUP (N=30) FOR WALKING WITH LOOSENING PRACTICES FOR ONE HOUR IN THE MORNING FOR 6DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 3 MONTHS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CARDIAC TIME INTERVALS DERIVED FROM PULSE WAVE ANALYSIS AND ECG: RESTING HEART RATE (RHR), DIASTOLIC TIME(DT), VENTRICULAR EJECTION TIME(LVET), UPSTROKE TIME(UT), EJECTION DURATION INDEX (ED%), PRE-EJECTION PERIOD (PEP), RATE PRESSURE PRODUCT (RPP) AND PERCENTAGE OF MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE (%MAP). RESULTS: THE MEAN WITHIN-YOGA GROUP CHANGE IN RHR(BPM) WAS 4.41 (P=0.031), PD(MS): -50.29 (P=0.042), DT(MS): -49.04 (P=0.017), ED%: 2.107 (P=0.001), ES(MMHG/MS): 14.62 (P=0.118), ET(MS): -0.66 (P=0.903), UT(MS): -2.54 (P=0.676), PEP(MS): -1.25 (P=0.11) AND %MAP: 2.08 (P=0.04). THE MEAN WITHIN-CONTROL GROUP CHANGE IN HR (BPM) WAS 0.35 (P=0.887), PD (MS): 11.15(P=0.717), DT (MS): 11.3 (P=0.706), ED%: -0.101 (P=0.936), ES (MMHG/MS): 0.75 (P=0.926), ET(MS): 2.2 (P=0.721), UT(MS):4.7(P=455), PEP (MS): 2.1(P=0.11), %MAP: 0.65 (P=0.451). A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN-GROUP WAS FOUND IN RHR (P=0.036), PD (P=0.02), ED% (P=0.049), LVET (P=0.048), DT (P=0.02) AND RPP (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE FOR 3 MONTHS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DIASTOLIC FUNCTION WITH A MINIMAL CHANGE IN SYSTOLIC FUNCTION. YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WALKING IN IMPROVING CARDIAC FUNCTION IN ELDERLY WITH HIGH PP. 2017 5 808 30 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS WITH INCREASED PULSE PRESSURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. OBJECTIVE: WE AIMED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON ARTERIAL FUNCTION IN ELDERLY WITH INCREASED PULSE PRESSURE (PP). DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WITH TWO PARALLEL GROUPS. PARTICIPANTS: ELDERLY SUBJECTS WITH PP>/=60 MMHG (N=60). INTERVENTIONS: YOGA GROUP (N=30) WAS ASSIGNED FOR YOGA TRAINING AND BRISK-WALKING (BW) GROUP (N=30) FOR BRISK-WALK WITH STRETCHING EXERCISE FOR 1H IN THE MORNING FOR 6 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ARTERIAL STIFFNESS MEASURES: BRACHIAL-ANKLE PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (BAPWV), CAROTID-FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (C-F PWV), AORTIC AUGMENTATION INDEX (AIX@75), ARTERIAL STIFFNESS INDEX AT BRACHIAL (BASI) AND TIBIAL ARTERIES (AASI). TOTAL SERUM NITRIC OXIDE CONCENTRATION (NOX) AS AN INDEX OF ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) MEASURES: LOW FREQUENCY AND HIGH FREQUENCY IN NORMALIZED UNITS (LFNU, HFNU) AND LF/HF RATIO. RESULTS: THE MEAN BETWEEN-GROUP CHANGE (WITH 95% CI) IN ARTERIAL STIFFNESS: C-F PWV(M/S) [1.25(0.59-1.89); P<0.001], BAPWV(M/S) [1.96(0.76-3.16), P<0.01], AIX@75 [3.07(0.24-5.89), P=0.066], AASI [8.3(4.06-12.53), P<0.001]; ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION INDEX: NO(MUMOL/L) [-9.03(-14.57 TO -3.47), P<0.001]; SBP(MMHG) [14.23(12.03-16.44), P<0.001], DBP(MMHG) [0.1(-1.95-2.15), P=0.38], PP(MMHG) [14.07(11.2-16.92), P<0.001], MAP(MMHG) [4.7(3.08-6.32), P<0.001]; AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION: LF(NU) [4.81(1.54-8.08), P<0.01], HF(NU) [-4.13(-7.57 TO -0.69), P<0.01], LF/HF RATIO [0.84(0.3-1.37), P<0.001], INDICATE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN EFFECTS OF TWO INTERVENTION ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION, BP AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WITHIN-YOGA GROUP IN VASCULAR FUNCTION, BP AND AUTONOMIC FUNCTION, WHILE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WITHIN-BW GROUP WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PROGRAM OFFERED WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN BRISK-WALK IN REDUCING ARTERIAL STIFFNESS ALONG WITH BP IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WITH INCREASED PP. YOGA CAN ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND IMPROVE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION WITH ENHANCEMENT IN BIOAVAILABILITY OF NO. 2015 6 1358 25 IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES ON THE MACULAR THICKNESS. BACKGROUND: YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES HAVE BEEN ADVOCATED AS BENEFICIAL TO EYE HEALTH. IN A PREVIOUS STUDY, WE EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES ON THE INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP). THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES TO OCULAR STRUCTURE HAVE NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED YET. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES ON THE MACULAR STRUCTURE USING THE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (OCT) AND OCT ANGIOGRAPHY (OCTA) PARAMETERS. METHODS: TWENTY-NINE PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS MASKED WITHIN PARTICIPANT COMPARISON OF HEALTHY CONTROLS. BASIC OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION WAS PERFORMED, AFTER WHICH PATIENTS WERE EVALUATED FOR IOP, OCT, AND OCTA BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA EXERCISES FOR EYES. OCT/A PARAMETERS THAT WERE EVALUATED WERE: AVERAGE MACULAR THICKNESS (AMT) (MUM), CENTRAL MACULAR THICKNESS (MUM), CENTRAL CHOROIDAL THICKNESS (MUM) VESSEL DENSITY (%) IN THE SUPERFICIAL, DEEP VASCULAR LAYERS, AND IN THE CHORIOCAPILLARIS. RESULTS: IOP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED (POSTEXERCISE IOP = 13.02 MMHG +/- 2.82 MMHG) FROM THE INITIAL VALUE (PREEXERCISE IOP = 13.86 MMHG +/- 2.85 MMHG, P = 0.02). AMT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (POSTEXERCISE AMT = 275.40 MUM +/- 10.85 MUM) FROM THE PREEXERCISE MEASUREMENT (PREEXERCISE AMT = 274.41 MUM +/- 10.89 MUM; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: AFTER YOGA OCULAR EXERCISES, IOP SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AND AMT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN HEALTHY CONTROLS, SUGGESTING AN EFFECT OF THESE EXERCISES ON THE MACULAR THICKNESS. 2020 7 1433 29 IMPROVING THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH POST-YOGA EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY. YOGA EXERCISES UNDERTAKEN DURING THE MATERNITY PERIOD MAY REDUCE UNPLEASANT SYMPTOMS DURING PREGNANCY AND REDUCE DELIVERY PAIN. FLEXIBILITY OF THE HIP JOINT IMPROVES THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH CREATED IN AN OPEN-LEG POSTURE AND WIDENS THE PELVIC OUTLET REGION, SHORTENING THE TIME REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY AND FACILITATING EASY DELIVERY. THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH IS RELATED TO THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE HIP JOINT. ALTHOUGH MANY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY, THE EFFECT ON THE DEGREE OF THE PUBIC ARCH HAS NOT BEEN ELUCIDATED. TO ELUCIDATE WHETHER THE DEGREE OF THE PUBIC ARCH IS IMPROVED BY YOGA EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY, THIS STUDY ENROLLED 177 PREGNANT SUBJECTS. THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH PRE- AND POST-YOGA EXERCISE WAS MEASURED USING INSTRUMENTS IN AN OPEN-LEG POSTURE (SEATED WITH FEMURS ABDUCTED). THE MEAN PUBIC ARCH PRE- AND POST-YOGA WAS 122.61 AND 127.93 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY. THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH POST-YOGA SESSIONS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED COMPARED WITH PRE-YOGA SESSIONS (P < 0.01). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA EXERCISES DURING THE PREGNANCY PERIOD APPEAR TO IMPROVE THE DEGREE OF PUBIC ARCH. 2021 8 1136 46 EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. DESIGN AND SETTING: THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE (335) WOMEN ATTENDING THE ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY; 169 WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 166 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, PARITY, BODY WEIGHT, AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTICED BY THE YOGA GROUP ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED 30 MINUTES TWICE A DAY (STANDARD OBSTETRIC ADVICE) DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH GROUPS WAS ENSURED BY FREQUENT TELEPHONE CALLS AND STRICT MAINTENANCE OF AN ACTIVITY DIARY. MAIN OUTCOMES: BIRTH WEIGHT AND GESTATIONAL AGE AT DELIVERY WERE PRIMARY OUTCOMES. RESULTS: THE NUMBER OF BABIES WITH BIRTH WEIGHT > OR = 2500 GRAMS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP. PRETERM LABOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (P < 0.0006) IN THE YOGA GROUP. COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS ISOLATED INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION (IUGR) (P < 0.003) AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) WITH ASSOCIATED IUGR (P < 0.025) WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA DURING PREGNANCY IS SAFE. IT IMPROVES BIRTH WEIGHT, DECREASES PRETERM LABOR, AND DECREASES IUGR EITHER IN ISOLATION OR ASSOCIATED WITH PIH, WITH NO INCREASED COMPLICATIONS. 2005 9 765 44 EFFECT OF THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID IN PREGNANCY: A MULTICENTER STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED SINGLE-BLIND STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IMPROVES MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOMES IN PREGNANCY. PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID (UA) ARE VALUABLE SCREENING MEASURES IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. AIM: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PLATELET COUNTS AND SERUM UA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, CONDUCTED BY S-VYASA UNIVERSITY AT ST. JOHN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL AND GUNASHEELA MATERNITY HOSPITAL, RECRUITED 68 WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY (30 YOGA AND 38 CONTROLS) IN THE TWELFTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY. THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE: BAD OBSTETRICS HISTORY, TWIN PREGNANCIES, MATERNAL AGE < 20 OR > 35 YEARS, OBESITY (BMI > 30), AND GENETIC HISTORY OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS. THOSE WITH NORMAL PREGNANCY, ANEMIA (< 10 GRAMS%DL), H/O CLOTTING DISORDERS; RENAL, HEPATIC OR HEART DISEASE; SEIZURE DISORDER; OR STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES IN THE PELVIS, WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED SIMPLE MEDITATIVE YOGA (THREE DAYS / WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS). RESULTS: AT BASELINE, ALL WOMEN HAD NORMAL PLATELET COUNTS (> 150X10(9)/L) WITH A DECREASE AS PREGNANCY ADVANCED. UA (NORMAL AT BASELINE) INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. NO ONE DEVELOPED ABNORMAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA OR HYPERURICEMIA. HEALTHY REDUCTION IN PLATELET COUNT (TWELFTH TO TWENTIETH WEEK) OCCURRED IN A HIGHER (P < 0.001, CHI(2) TEST) NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. A SIMILAR TREND WAS FOUND IN URIC ACID. SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP (N = 3) DEVELOPED PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) / PRE-ECLAMPSIA (PE) THAN THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 12), WITH ABSOLUTE RISK REDUCTION (ARR) BY 21%. CONCLUSION: ANTENATAL INTEGRATED YOGA FROM THE TWELFTH WEEK IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING A HEALTHY PROGRESSION OF PLATELETS AND URIC ACID IN WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY, POINTING TO HEALTHY HEMODILUTION AND BETTER PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION. 2013 10 956 29 EFFECTS OF A PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME ON THE DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY AND MATERNAL CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY IN TAIWAN. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A YOGA PROGRAMME PROVIDED TO PRIMIGRAVIDAS IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY WITH THE AIM OF DECREASING THE DISCOMFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREGNANCY AND INCREASING CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY. DESIGN: NON-RANDOMISED CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. SETTING: A HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN TAIWAN. PARTICIPANTS: THE TARGET POPULATION WAS PRIMIGRAVIDAS AT 26-28 WEEKS OF GESTATION (NO HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES) WHO HAD NOT ENGAGED IN REGULAR EXERCISE OR YOGA FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. THE STUDY INCLUDED 88 INDIVIDUALS; 43 IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND 45 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME. INTERVENTION: THE DURATION OF THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME WAS 12-14 WEEKS, WITH AT LEAST THREE SESSIONS PER WEEK. EACH WORKOUT LASTED FOR 30 MINUTES. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: WOMEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY DISCOMFORTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (38.28 VS 43.26, Z=-2.58, P=0.01) AT 38-40 WEEKS OF GESTATION. THE SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA PROGRAMME EXHIBITED HIGHER OUTCOME AND SELF-EFFICACY EXPECTANCIES DURING THE ACTIVE STAGE OF LABOUR (104.13 VS 83.53, T=3.24, P=0.002; 99.26 VS 77.70, T=3.99, P T POLYMORPHISMS AND RESPONSE TO YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: A RANDOMIZED ACTIVE-CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS MODULATE TREATMENT OUTCOME IN, A HIGHLY HETEROGENEOUS, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD). 5-HTTLPR VARIANT OF THE SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER GENE (SLC6A4) AND MTHFR 677C>T POLYMORPHISMS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF MDD, AND ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT RESPONSE. THE EVIDENCE IS LACKING ON THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH MDD WHO HAVE 5-HTTLPR AND MTHFR 677C>T POLYMORPHISMS AND LESS LIKELY TO RESPOND TO MEDICATIONS (SSRIS). AIMS: WE AIMED TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF YBLI IN THOSE WHO HAVE SUSCEPTIBLE 5-HTTLPR AND MTHFR 677C>T POLYMORPHISMS AND ARE LESS LIKELY TO DRUG THERAPY WITH SSRIS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: IN A 12 WEEK RANDOMIZED ACTIVE-CONTROLLED TRIAL, MDD PATIENTS (N = 178) WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE YBLI OR DRUG THERAPY. METHODS: GENOTYPING WAS CONDUCTED USING PCR-BASED METHODS. THE CLINICAL REMISSION WAS DEFINED AS BDI-II SCORE T GENOTYPES SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT ODDS OF REMISSION IN YOGA ARM VS. DRUG ARM. NEITHER 5-HTTLPR NOR MTHFR 677C>T GENOTYPE SHOWED ANY INFLUENCE ON REMISSION TO YBLI (P = 0.73 AND P = 0.64, RESPECTIVELY). FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWED CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY INTERACT WITH 5-HTTLPR AND MTHFR 677C>T POLYMORPHISMS TO DECREASE TREATMENT RESPONSE IN DRUG TREATMENT ARM, BUT NOT IN YOGA ARM. CONCLUSIONS: YBLI PROVIDES MDD REMISSION IN THOSE WHO HAVE SUSCEPTIBLE 5-HTTLPR AND MTHFR 677C>T POLYMORPHISMS AND ARE RESISTANT TO SSRIS TREATMENT. YBLI MAY BE THERAPEUTIC FOR MDD INDEPENDENT OF HETEROGENEITY IN ITS ETIOPATHOGENESIS. 2018 16 1323 31 HEMODYNAMIC OBSERVATIONS OF TUMO YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN A HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT. BACKGROUND: FEW ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO EVALUATE THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRADITIONAL EASTERN HEALTH PRACTICES. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE HEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF THE MYSTERIOUS BUDDHIST PRACTICE OF TUMO. TUMO IS A MEDITATIVE PRACTICE THAT PRODUCES INNER HEAT THROUGH THE ALLEGED CULTIVATION OF BODY ENERGY-CHANNELS. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PERFORMED BY MEMBERS OF AN INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS IN THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA. THE STUDY WAS PERFORMED IN AN UNPOPULATED OUTDOOR MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT AN ALTITUDE OF 16,400 FT WITH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN -10 AND -15( DEGREES )C. TWO (2) COHORTS OF SUBJECTS WERE STUDIED: HEALTHY NON-YOGI VOLUNTEERS AND TUMO PRACTITIONERS. ALL OF THE SUBJECTS WERE STRIPPED DOWN TO THEIR UNDERCLOTHES AND EXPOSED TO THE SUBZERO ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES FOR 5 MINUTES. THE VOLUNTEERS WERE THEN PASSIVELY REWARMED WHILE THE TUMO PRACTITIONERS PERFORMED TUMO FOR UP TO 10 MINUTES. BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, AND STROKE VOLUME INDEX (SVI) AND CARDIAC INDEX WERE MEASURED NONINVASIVELY USING A NICOM HEMODYNAMIC MONITOR, WHILE CAROTID BLOOD FLOW AND BIVENTRICULAR PERFORMANCE WERE DETERMINED ECHOCARDIOGRAPHICALLY AT EACH STAGE OF THE EXPERIMENT. THE TOTAL PERIPHERAL RESISTANCE INDEX (TPRI), LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF), AND TRICUSPID ANNULAR PLANE SYSTOLIC EXCURSION (TAPSE) WERE DETERMINED USING STANDARD FORMULA. RESULTS: FOURTEEN (14) SUBJECTS (SIX VOLUNTEERS AND EIGHT TUMO PRACTITIONERS) COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WAS ONE FEMALE SUBJECT IN EACH GROUP. WITH COLD EXPOSURE, THE SVI AND CAROTID BLOOD FLOW DECREASED WHILE THE TPRI INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH GROUPS. IN THE VOLUNTEER GROUP, THESE CHANGES RETUNED TO BASELINE WITH REWARMING. FOLLOWING TUMO, THE CARDIAC INDEX (4.8+/-0.6 VERSUS 4.0+/-0.5 L/M(2); P<0.01), CAROTID BLOOD FLOW (445+/-127 VERSUS 325+/-100 ML/MIN/M(2), P<0.01), LVEF (68+/-5 VERSUS 64+/-7%; P<0.05) AND TAPSE (2.9+/-0.4 VERSUS 2.4+/-0.5 CM; P<0.01) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WHEN COMPARED WITH BASELINE, WHILE THE TPRI WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (1786+/-189 VERSUS 2173+/-281; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TUMO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A HYPERDYNAMIC VASODILATED STATE WITH INCREASED BIVENTRICULAR PERFORMANCE. WE POSTULATE THAT TUMO RESULTS IN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY WITH ACTIVATION OF BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND MARKED HEAT PRODUCTION. THE INCREASED HEAT PRODUCTION MAY EXPLAIN THE PARADOXICAL VASODILATATION IN TUMO PRACTITIONERS EXPOSED TO SUBZERO TEMPERATURES. 2014 17 1134 35 EFFICACY OF YOGA IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH ABNORMAL DOPPLER STUDY OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON THE OUTCOME OF COMPLICATED PREGNANCY, 121 WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL (GSMH) IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18-20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. SIXTY-EIGHT WOMEN WERE IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 53 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, GRAVIDA AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTISED BY THE YOGA GROUP, ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED HALF AN HOUR TWICE A DAY DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ENSURED. IN BABIES THE BIRTH-WEIGHT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.018) IN THE YOGA GROUP (2.78 +/- 0.52 KG), COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (2.55 +/- 0.52 KG). OCCURRENCE OF COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY (PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION, INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION, PRE-TERM DELIVERY) SHOWS LOWER TRENDS IN YOGA GROUP. 2005 18 791 27 EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE THERAPY ON OXIDATIVE STRESS INDICATORS WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE ON HEMODIALYSIS. BACKGROUND: OXIDATIVE STRESS PROMOTES ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN CHRONIC RENAL DISEASE. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS INDICATORS AND OXIDANT STATUS, IN PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE (ESRD) ON HEMODIALYSIS. DESIGN: THIS PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY CONSISTED OF 33 ESRD PATIENTS IN THE HATHA YOGA EXERCISE GROUP WHO WERE MATCHED WITH 35 ESRD PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE OXIDATIVE STRESS INDICATORS (MALONDIALDEHYDE - MDA, PROTEIN OXIDATION - POX, PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 - PLA2 ACTIVITY) AND THE OXIDATIVE STATUS (SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (SOD) AND CATALASE ACTIVITIES) WERE DETERMINED IN THE BLOOD SAMPLES TAKEN AT THE PRE-HEMODIALYSIS TREATMENT, AT BASELINE (0 MONTHS) AND AFTER FOUR MONTHS. RESULTS: IN PATIENTS IN THE HATHA YOGA EXERCISE GROUP, LIPID PEROXIDATION, AS INDICATED BY MDA DECREASED BY 4.0% AFTER FOUR MONTHS (P = 0.096). THERE WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE ACTIVITY OF PLA FROM 2.68 +/- 0.02 IU / L TO 2.34 IU / L (- 12.7%; P = 0.010) AND POX FROM 2.28 +/- 0.02 NMOL / MG TO 2.22 +/- 0.01 NMOL / MG (- 22.6%; P = 0.0001). THE ACTIVITY OF SOD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM 12.91 +/- 0.17 U / L TO 13.54 +/- 0.15 U / L (4.65%; P = 0.0001) AND CATALASE FROM 79.83 +/- 0.63 U / L TO 80.54 +/- 0.80 U / L (0.90%; P = 0.0001). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRE-HEMODIALYSIS OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS AT THE ZERO MONTH AND AFTER FOUR MONTHS FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF PLA (R = 0.440), CATALASE (R = 0.872), AND SOD (R = 0.775). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE HATHA YOGA EXERCISE HAS THERAPEUTIC, PREVENTATIVE, AND PROTECTIVE EFFECTS IN ESRD SUBJECTS, BY DECREASING OXIDATIVE STRESS. 2013 19 1764 26 POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF F1 PROGENY EXPOSED IN UTERO TO AN AYURVEDIC CONTRACEPTIVE: PIPPALIYADI YOGA. PIPPALIYADI YOGA OR PIPPALIYADI VATI IS AN AYURVEDIC CONTRACEPTIVE USED IN INDIA SINCE ANCIENT TIMES. IT IS A COMBINATION OF POWDERED FRUIT BERRIES OF EMBELIA RIBES BURM.F. (MYRSINACEAE), PIPER LONGUM L. (PIPERACEAE) AND BORAX IN EQUAL PROPORTION. THOUGH THE CONTRACEPTIVE POTENTIAL IS KNOWN SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, NO SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT TO EVALUATE THE POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY AND THE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGENY EXPOSED IN UTERO TO PIPPALIYADI. PIPPALIYADI YOGA WAS OBTAINED FROM NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (NIPER), INDIA AND THE DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY WAS STUDIED BY ADMINISTERING THREE DOSES, VIZ. 140, 300 AND 700 MG/(KG DAY) TO GRAVID FEMALES FROM DAY 6 TO DAY 16 OF GESTATION. PIPPALIYADI DID NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS WITH LOW DOSES, HOWEVER, WITH THE FIVE TIMES HIGHER DOSE, A DECREASE IN BODY WEIGHT OF THE PUPS WAS OBSERVED. THE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGENY BORN TO MOTHERS TREATED WITH PIPPALIYADI WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED. THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO PIPPALIYADI DOES NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE F(1) PROGENY. 2007 20 1053 27 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MODIFIABLE BIOLOGICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND IN HIGH-RISK DISEASE GROUPS. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, AND INDMED WERE SCREENED THROUGH AUGUST 2013 FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) ON YOGA FOR PREDEFINED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS, NON-DIABETIC PARTICIPANTS WITH HIGH RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, OR PARTICIPANTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS: FORTY-FOUR RCTS WITH A TOTAL OF 3168 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. RISK OF BIAS WAS HIGH OR UNCLEAR FOR MOST RCTS. RELATIVE TO USUAL CARE OR NO INTERVENTION, YOGA IMPROVED SYSTOLIC (MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD)=-5.85 MM HG; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI)=-8.81, -2.89) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (MD=-4.12 MM HG; 95%CI=-6.55, -1.69), HEART RATE (MD=-6.59 BPM; 95%CI=-12.89, -0.28), RESPIRATORY RATE (MD=-0.93 BREATHS/MIN; 95%CI=-1.70, -0.15), WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (MD=-1.95 CM; 95%CI=-3.01, -0.89), WAIST/HIP RATIO (MD=-0.02; 95%CI=-0.03, -0.00), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (MD=-13.09 MG/DL; 95%CI=-19.60, -6.59), HDL (MD=2.94 MG/DL; 95%CI=0.57, 5.31), VLDL (MD=-5.70 MG/DL; 95%CI=-7.36, -4.03), TRIGLYCERIDES (MD=-20.97 MG/DL; 95%CI=-28.61, -13.32), HBA1C (MD=-0.45%; 95%CI=-0.87, -0.02), AND INSULIN RESISTANCE (MD=-0.19; 95%CI=-0.30, -0.08). RELATIVE TO EXERCISE, YOGA IMPROVED HDL (MD=3.70 MG/DL; 95%CI=1.14, 6.26). CONCLUSIONS: THIS META-ANALYSIS REVEALED EVIDENCE FOR CLINICALLY IMPORTANT EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOST BIOLOGICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS. DESPITE METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES, YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION AND FOR PATIENTS WITH INCREASED RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2014