1 1967 110 SERUM CORTISOL AND BDNF IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION-EFFECT OF YOGA. DEPRESSION IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW SERUM BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) AND ELEVATED LEVELS OF SERUM CORTISOL. YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS, INCREASE IN SERUM BDNF, AND REDUCTION IN SERUM CORTISOL. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM BDNF AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN DRUG-NAIVE PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION TREATED WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS, YOGA THERAPY, AND BOTH. FIFTY-FOUR DRUG-NAIVE CONSENTING ADULT OUTPATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION (32 MALES) RECEIVED ANTIDEPRESSANTS ONLY (N = 16), YOGA THERAPY ONLY (N = 19), OR YOGA WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS (N = 19). SERUM BDNF ANDCORTISOL LEVELS WERE OBTAINED BEFORE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS USING A SANDWICH ELISA METHOD. ONE-WAY ANOVA, CHI-SQUARE TEST, AND PEARSON'S CORRELATION TESTS WERE USED FOR ANALYSIS. THE GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE AT BASELINE ON MOST PARAMETERS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSION SCORES AND SERUM BDNF LEVELS, AND REDUCTION IN SERUM CORTISOL IN THE YOGA GROUPS, HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS REPORTS. A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE CORRELATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN CHANGE IN BDNF (PRE-POST) AND CORTISOL (PRE-POST) LEVELS IN THE YOGA-ONLY GROUP (R = -0.59, P = 0.008). IN CONCLUSION, YOGA MAY FACILITATE NEUROPLASTICITY THROUGH STRESS REDUCTION IN DEPRESSED PATIENTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE FINDINGS AND DELINEATE THE PATHWAYS FOR THESE EFFECTS. 2016 2 859 29 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON LEVELS OF INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AFTER MODERATE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXERCISE CHALLENGE ON TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) LEVELS AND LIPID PROFILE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. ONE HUNDRED AND NINE VOLUNTEERS (51 MALES AND 58 FEMALES) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 20 TO 60 YEARS, WHO PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY FOR OVER FIVE YEARS FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HOUR DAILY, PERFORMED A BOUT OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND A BOUT OF STRENUOUS EXERCISE AS PER STANDARDIZED SHUTTLE WALK TEST PROTOCOL. ANTHROPOMETRICALLY MATCHED, AGE MATCHED AND GENDER MATCHED SUBJECTS, WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA (NON-YOGA GROUP) WERE CHOSEN AS CONTROLS (NON-YOGA, N=109). THE NON-YOGA GROUP ALSO PERFORMED SIMILAR EXERCISES. THE BLOOD SAMPLES OF BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 WAS ANALYSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISE BY SANDWICH ELISA (ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY). RESULTS: RESTING PLASMA TNF-ALPHA CONCENTRATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN NON-YOGA GROUP WHEN COMPARED TO YOGA GROUP (P<0.05). THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN TNF-ALPHA LEVELS IN BOTH THE GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE WAS NO GENDER DIFFERENCE IN TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EXERCISE IN YOGA AND NON-YOGA GROUPS. CONCLUSION: REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA LOWERS BASAL TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. IT ALSO REDUCES THE EXTENT OF INCREASE OF TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 TO A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT GENDER DIFFERENCE IN THE TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST INFLAMMATORY DISEASES BY FAVOURABLY ALTERING PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE LEVELS. 2015 3 324 21 ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED 108 CLIMACTERIC WOMEN. WE RECRUITED 28 WOMEN BETWEEN 40 AND 65 YEARS OLD WHO STARTED YOGA PRACTICES IN PREMENOPAUSE AND HAD ALREADY PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS. AS CONTROLS, WE SELECTED 30 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) PRACTITIONERS WHO HAD PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS AND 50 SEDENTARY WOMEN IN THE SAME AGE RANGE. WE CONDUCED ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. YOGA PRACTITIONERS ALSO HAD LOWER WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND WAIST-TO-HEIGHT RATIO; HIGHER LEVELS OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL; LOWER LEVELS OF TRIGLYCERIDES, INSULIN, HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE, URIC ACID, APOLIPOPROTEIN B AND HIGH-SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN; AND LOWER FREQUENCY OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, LIPID ACCUMULATION PRODUCT, VISCERAL ADIPOSITY INDEX AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE THAN THE SEDENTARY WOMEN. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LOWER GLUCOSE SERUM CONCENTRATIONS THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. OVERALL, THE YOGA GROUP ALSO HAD BETTER ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL VARIABLES THAN THE OTHER GROUPS. ALTHOUGH FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED, YOGA PRACTICE IN PREMENOPAUSE SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY REACH MENOPAUSE. 2022 4 569 18 DECREASE IN SERUM CORTISOL DURING YOGA EXERCISE IS CORRELATED WITH ALPHA WAVE ACTIVATION. WE EXAMINED CHANGES IN BRAIN WAVES AND BLOOD LEVELS OF SERUM CORTISOL DURING YOGA EXERCISE IN 7 YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND FOUND THAT ALPHA WAVES INCREASED AND SERUM CORTISOL DECREASED. THESE TWO MEASURES WERE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED (R = -.83). COMPARISON WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF NONPRACTITIONERS IS DESIRABLE. 2000 5 2847 41 YOGA, MEDITATION AND MIND-BODY HEALTH: INCREASED BDNF, CORTISOL AWAKENING RESPONSE, AND ALTERED INFLAMMATORY MARKER EXPRESSION AFTER A 3-MONTH YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREAT. THIRTY-EIGHT INDIVIDUALS (MEAN AGE: 34.8 YEARS OLD) PARTICIPATING IN A 3-MONTH YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREAT WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOMETRIC MEASURES, BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF), CIRCADIAN SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS, AND PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. PARTICIPATION IN THE RETREAT WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS INCREASES IN MINDFULNESS. AS HYPOTHESIZED, INCREASES IN THE PLASMA LEVELS OF BDNF AND INCREASES IN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CORTISOL AWAKENING RESPONSE (CAR) WERE ALSO OBSERVED. THE NORMALIZED CHANGE IN BDNF LEVELS WAS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH BSI-18 ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH THE PRE-RETREAT (R = 0.40, P < 0.05) AND POST-RETREAT (R = 0.52, P < 0.005) SUCH THAT THOSE WITH GREATER ANXIETY SCORES TENDED TO EXHIBIT SMALLER PRE- TO POST-RETREAT INCREASES IN PLASMA BDNF LEVELS. IN LINE WITH A HYPOTHESIZED DECREASE IN INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES RESULTING FROM THE YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES, WE FOUND THAT THE PLASMA LEVEL OF THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE INTERLEUKIN-10 WAS INCREASED AND THE PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE INTERLEUKIN-12 WAS REDUCED AFTER THE RETREAT. CONTRARY TO OUR INITIAL HYPOTHESES, PLASMA LEVELS OF OTHER PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, INCLUDING INTERFERON GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA), TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF-ALPHA), INTERLEUKIN-1BETA (IL-1BETA), INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6), AND INTERLEUKIN-8 (IL-8) WERE INCREASED AFTER THE RETREAT. GIVEN EVIDENCE FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF MEDITATIVE PRACTICES ON MENTAL FITNESS, AUTONOMIC HOMEOSTASIS AND INFLAMMATORY STATUS, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THESE FINDINGS ARE RELATED TO THE MEDITATIVE PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE RETREAT; HOWEVER, SOME OF THE OBSERVED CHANGES MAY ALSO BE RELATED TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE RETREAT SUCH AS PHYSICAL EXERCISE-RELATED COMPONENTS OF THE YOGA PRACTICE AND DIET. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE PATTERNS OF CHANGE OBSERVED HERE REFLECT MIND-BODY INTEGRATION AND WELL-BEING. THE INCREASED BDNF LEVELS OBSERVED IS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN MEDITATIVE PRACTICES AND BRAIN HEALTH, THE INCREASED CAR IS LIKELY A REFLECTION OF INCREASED DYNAMIC PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DUAL ENHANCEMENT OF PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE CHANGES TO HEALTHY IMMUNOLOGIC FUNCTIONING IS DISCUSSED. 2017 6 716 34 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES ON IMMUNE RESPONSES IN EXAMINATION STRESS - A PRELIMINARY STUDY. BACKGROUND: STRESS IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED OCCURRENCE OF AUTONOMIC, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM PATHOLOGY. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM DURING MEDICAL TERM -ACADEMIC EXAMINATION AND THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON THE SAME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT ON SIXTY FIRST-YEAR MBBS STUDENTS RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP (30 EACH). THE YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES FOR 35 MINUTES DAILY IN THE PRESENCE OF TRAINED YOGA TEACHER FOR 12 WEEKS. CONTROL GROUP DID NOT UNDERGO ANY KIND OF YOGA PRACTICE OR STRESS MANAGEMENT. PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS LIKE HEART RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE MEASURED. GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF RECENT STRESS SCALE AND SPIELBERGERS STATE ANXIETY SCORE WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND DURING THE EXAMINATION. SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS, IL-4, AND IFN-GAMMA LEVELS WERE DETERMINED BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY TECHNIQUE. RESULT: IN THE YOGA GROUP, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS DURING THE EXAMINATION STRESS, WHEREAS IN THE CONTROL GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WAS OBSERVED. LIKEWISE, THE INDICATORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS SHOWED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP COMPARED WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN YOGA GROUP. DURING THE EXAMINATION, THE INCREASE IN SERUM CORTICAL AND DECREASE IN SERUM IFN-GAMMA IN YOGA GROUP WAS LESS SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01) THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.001). BOTH THE GROUPS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE IN SERUM IL-4 LEVELS, THE CHANGES BEING INSIGNIFICANT FOR THE DURATION OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: YOGA RESISTS THE AUTONOMIC CHANGES AND IMPAIRMENT OF CELLULAR IMMUNITY SEEN IN EXAMINATION STRESS. 2011 7 835 34 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN, BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR, AND SEROTONIN IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. BACKGROUND. SEROTONIN AND BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) ARE KNOWN TO BE MODULATORS OF NOCICEPTION. HOWEVER, PAIN-RELATED CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA AND THOSE NEUROMODULATORS HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. THEREFORE, WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN, BDNF, AND SEROTONIN. METHODS. PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN PRACTICED YOGA THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS, BACK PAIN INTENSITY WAS MEASURED USING VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS), AND SERUM BDNF AND SEROTONIN LEVELS WERE EVALUATED. ADDITIONALLY, BACK FLEXIBILITY AND LEVEL OF DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS. AFTER 12-WEEK YOGA, VAS DECREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.001), WHEREAS IT INCREASED (P < 0.05) IN THE CONTROL GROUP. BACK FLEXIBILITY WAS IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.01). SERUM BDNF INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.01), WHEREAS IT TENDED TO DECREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.05). SERUM SEROTONIN MAINTAINED IN THE YOGA GROUP, WHILE IT REDUCED (P < 0.01) IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE DEPRESSION LEVEL MAINTAINED IN THE YOGA GROUP, WHEREAS IT TENDED TO INCREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS. WE PROPOSE THAT BDNF MAY BE ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS MEDIATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. 2014 8 1303 28 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 9 1811 35 PROFILE OF MOOD STATES AND STRESS-RELATED BIOCHEMICAL INDICES IN LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE SHORT-TERM OR INTERMEDIATE-TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA TO BE USEFUL FOR AMELIORATING SEVERAL MENTAL DISORDERS AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE LONG-TERM INFLUENCES OF YOGA ON THE MENTAL STATE OR STRESS-RELATED BIOCHEMICAL INDICES. IF YOGA TRAINING HAS A STRESS-REDUCTION EFFECT AND ALSO IMPROVES AN INDIVIDUAL'S MENTAL STATES FOR A LONG TIME, LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY HAVE A BETTER MENTAL STATE AND LOWER STRESS-RELATED BIOCHEMICAL INDICES IN COMPARISON TO NON-EXPERIENCED PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY SIMULTANEOUSLY EXAMINED THE DIFFERENCES IN MENTAL STATES AND URINARY STRESS-RELATED BIOCHEMICAL INDICES BETWEEN LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-EXPERIENCED PARTICIPANTS. METHODS: THE PARTICIPANTS WERE 38 HEALTHY FEMALES WITH MORE THAN 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA (LONG-TERM YOGA GROUP) AND 37 AGE-MATCHED HEALTHY FEMALES WHO HAD NOT PARTICIPATED IN YOGA (CONTROL GROUP). THEIR MENTAL STATES WERE ASSESSED USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS) QUESTIONNAIRE. THE LEVEL OF CORTISOL, 8-HYDROXYDEOXYGUANOSINE (8-OHDG) AND BIOPYRRIN IN URINE WERE USED AS STRESS-RELATED BIOCHEMICAL INDICES. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE SELF-RATED MENTAL DISTURBANCE, TENSION-ANXIETY, ANGER-HOSTILITY, AND FATIGUE SCORES OF THE LONG-TERM YOGA GROUP WERE LOWER THAN THOSE OF THE CONTROL GROUP. THERE WAS A TREND TOWARD A HIGHER VIGOR SCORE IN THE LONG-TERM YOGA GROUP THAN THAT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE SCORES FOR DEPRESSION AND CONFUSION IN THE POMS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. THE URINE 8-OHDG CONCENTRATION SHOWED A TREND TOWARD TO BEING LOWER IN THE LONG-TERM YOGA GROUP IN COMPARISON TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVELS OF URINE BIOPYRRIN OR CORTISOL. CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT LONG-TERM YOGA TRAINING CAN REDUCE THE SCORES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS SUCH AS SELF-RATED ANXIETY, ANGER, AND FATIGUE. 2011 10 1703 28 PARTITIONING OF RADIOLOGICAL, STRESS AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN PRE-DIABETIC WOMEN SUBJECTED TO DIABETIC YOGA PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SYSTEM OF WELLNESS WITH ASANA AND PRANAYAMA AS ITS MOST POPULAR AND PROPAGATED MODULES FOR MANAGEMENT OF LIFESTYLE DISORDERS. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERISE THE LIVER ABNORMALITIES, BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES, AND STRESS LEVELS AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION IN PREDIABETIC FEMALES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 37 FEMALES WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA PRACTISING AND NON-PRACTISING CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA PRACTISING GROUP PERFORMED DIABETIC YOGA PROTOCOL (DYP) FOR 3 MONTHS. PARAMETERS INCLUDING SIZE OF LIVER, FATTY INFILTRATION, AND GRADE OF SEVERITY WERE MEASURED USING ULTRASONOGRAPHY ALONG WITH BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND STRESS LEVELS AT BASELINE AND AFTER YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: THE GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN (HBA1C) AND GLUCOSE LEVELS WERE FOUND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN PREDIABETIC (P=0.015) WOMEN AFTER PRACTISING DYP, ALTHOUGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS INCREASED IN MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. NO ESCALATION OF FATTY LIVER WAS NOTED AMONG WOMEN PRACTISING DYP. CONCLUSION: DYP REDUCED THE HBA1C AND STRESS LEVELS AND THEREFORE, COULD BE A COST-EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR PREVENTING PREDIABETES TO DIABETES PROGRESSION. 2019 11 1102 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AMONG HEALTHY MALE. BACKGROUND: THE STRESSFUL CONDITION MAY CAUSE OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES. AIMS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA HAS IMPACT ON THE REDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS. METHODS: FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, 95 (N = 95) HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-24 YEARS WERE INCLUDED, 35 (N = 35) VOLUNTEERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE REMAINING 60 (N = 60) VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: (A) YOGA GROUP (N = 30) AND (B) CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR 60 MIN PER DAY, 6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH NO YOGA TRAINING IN CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WERE PERFORMED IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT BASELINE, BEFORE YOGA TRAINING (0 WEEK) AND AFTER (12 WEEKS) OF THE TRAINING. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION (P < 0.001) IN THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND MALONDIALDEHYDE; SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION (P < 0.001) IN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND ASCORBIC ACID LEVELS WERE NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA (0 WEEK). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, BODY SURFACE AREA AND LEAN BODY MASS AMONG THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE DUE TO YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES BODY FAT AND OXIDATIVE STRESS. YOGA TRAINING MAY BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE OF VARIOUS DISEASES AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. 2018 12 810 32 EFFECT OF YOGA ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. INTRODUCTION: IN VIEW OF PEOPLE EMBRACING SEDENTARY LIFE STYLE, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT BECOMING LESS, THE ROLE OF REGULAR EXERCISE ESPECIALLY 'YOGA' SEEMS TO BE A BENEFICIAL AND ECONOMICAL ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN NORMAL AND T2DM VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE CASE-CONTROL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND DIABETIC CLINIC OF A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OVER PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. THE STUDY SUBJECTS CONSISTED OF 30 MALE DIABETIC PATIENTS ATTENDING DIABETIC CLINIC AND 30 NON-DIABETIC MALE VOLUNTEERS CONSTITUTED CONTROL GROUP. THE PATIENTS IN THE AGE GROUP OF 36 TO 55 YEARS WITH T2DM OF AT LEAST ONE YEAR DURATION AND THOSE ON DIABETIC DIET AND ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY GROUP. THE AGE MATCHED HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAD COME TO JOIN YOGA TRAINING AT YOGA CENTRE WERE INCLUDED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE TRAINED BY YOGA EXPERTS AND SUBJECTED TO REGULAR PRACTICE UNDER SUPERVISION FOR SIX MONTHS. IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS FASTING (FBS) AND POST-PRANDIAL BLOOD SUGAR (PPBS) WAS ESTIMATED BEFORE, DURING (AT THREE MONTHS) AND AFTER (SIX MONTHS) YOGA TRAINING. PAIRED STUDENT T-TEST WAS USED TO ESTIMATE DIFFERENCE IN MEANS CALCULATED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA TRAINING IN A SAME GROUP. A P-VALUE OF <0.05 WAS CONSIDERED AS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGE, MEAN HEIGHT AND MEAN WEIGHT AMONG BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE. THE REDUCTION IN MEAN VALUES OF FBS AND PPBS AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT (P <0.001) IN BOTH THE GROUPS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE MEAN VALUES BEFORE AND DURING (THREE MONTHS) YOGA PRACTICE. THE REDUCTION IN THESE VALUES AT THREE MONTHS DURING YOGA WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IN T2DM GROUP WHEN COMPARED WITH MEAN VALUES BEFORE YOGA (P <0.001), BUT IT WAS INSIGNIFICANT (P<0.05) IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH T2DM. 2015 13 1889 29 REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES ANTIOXIDANT STATUS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND STRESS HORMONE RELEASES IN YOUNG HEALTHY PEOPLE: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON BIO-PARAMETERS, SUCH AS OXIDATIVE STRESS, ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS, IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, AND SECRETION OF STRESS HORMONES, IN HEALTHY YOUNG PEOPLE. STUDY DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED FROM AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, WHO WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: A CONTROL (NO YOGA INTERVENTION, N=13) GROUP AND A YOGA (N=12) GROUP. YOGA PRACTICE WAS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 90 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK SPREAD OVER 12 WEEKS, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO PRACTICE DAILY AT HOME FOR 40 MINUTES WITH THE HELP OF A DVD. THE YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTED OF YOGA BODY POSES (ASANAS), EXERCISES INVOLVING AWARENESS, VOLUNTARY REGULATION OF BREATH (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATIONAL PRACTICES. WHOLE BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS HAD FASTED FOR 8 HOURS AT 0 AND 12 WEEKS. THE OXIDATIVE STRESS/ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS, IMMUNE-RELATED CYTOKINES, AND STRESS HORMONES WERE EVALUATED IN SERUM OR PLASMA. RESULTS: SERUM LEVELS OF NITRIC OXIDE, F2-ISOPROSTANE, AND LIPID PEROXIDE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED BY YOGA PRACTICE (P<0.05 OR P=0.01), WHEREAS SERUM TOTAL GLUTATHIONE (GSH) CONTENTS, ACTIVITIES OF GSH-PEROXIDASE, AND GSH-S-TRANSFERASE WERE REMARKABLY INCREASED AFTER YOGA PRACTICE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.05 OR P=0.01). YOGA PRACTICE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IMMUNE-RELATED CYTOKINES, SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN-12, AND INTERFERON-GAMMA, IN SERUM (P<0.05 OR P=0.01). YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE PLASMA LEVELS OF ADRENALIN (P<0.05) AND INCREASED PLASMA LEVELS OF SEROTONIN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REMARKABLY ATTENUATED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND IMPROVED ANTIOXIDANT LEVELS OF THE BODY. MOREOVER, YOGA BENEFICIALLY AFFECTED STRESS HORMONE RELEASES AS WELL AS PARTIALLY IMPROVED IMMUNE FUNCTION. 2015 14 2120 28 THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON ENHANCEMENT OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH) AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. THE EFFECT OF 8 WEEKS YOGA TRAINING ON CORTISOL AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH) LEVELS IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS EXAMINED. TWENTY FOUR MS FEMALE PATIENTS WITH EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCALE (EDSS) 1 TO 5.5 PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY AS THE SUBJECT. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO CONTROL (N = 10) OR TRAINING GROUP (N = 14) RANDOMLY. TRAINING GROUP PERFORMED 90 MIN YOGA TRAINING PER SESSION, 3 DAYS A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE BODY COMPOSITION MEASUREMENT AND BLOOD SAMPLING 48 H BEFORE FIRST SESSION AND 48 H AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT ACTH INCREASED AND CORTISOL DECREASED COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05); IN CONCLUSION, IT SEEMS THAT YOGA TRAINING MODULATES ACTH LEVEL IN CONCOMITANT WITH REDUCTION IN CORTISOL LEVEL IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MS. 2017 15 723 32 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH SEVERAL STRESS FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THEREFORE, THE FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY IS A PERIOD THAT CALLS FOR CAREFUL ATTENTION AND RESEARCH. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN NURSING STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY EMPLOYING A PRE-/POST-TEST DESIGN WITH A CONTROL GROUP. A TOTAL OF 75 HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY WAS APPLIED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE SESSION 1 AND AFTER SESSION 8. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE STUDENTS TO MEASURE THEIR CORTISOL LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION. RESULTS: EVALUATION OF THE MEAN SCORES OBTAINED FROM THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05). IN THREE OUT OF THE EIGHT SESSIONS, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP REGARDING THE MEAN VALUES OF PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO HELP FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS COPE WITH STRESS AND REDUCE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 2021 16 1491 31 INTERLEUKIN-6, VITAMIN D & DIABETES RISK-FACTORS MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: SEVERAL DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE DEMONSTRATED A REDUCTION IN INCIDENCE OF DIABETES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PREDIABETES THROUGH WEIGHT LOSS. SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFICACIOUS IN WEIGHT LOSS. THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO INVESTIGATE IF INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6, VITAMIN D, NEOPTERIN, VASPIN, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS CAN BE MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE SUBJECTS. METHODS: IN THIS PILOT STUDY, 34 OVERWEIGHT/OBESE [BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) >/= 23 TO <35 KG/M [2] PER ASIAN CUT-OFF VALUES] INDIVIDUALS WERE ENROLLED, AND RECEIVED DIRECTLY SUPERVISED INTERVENTION FOR 10 DAYS. THEREAFTER, THEY WERE ADVISED TO FOLLOW THIS YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE AT HOME FOR ONE MONTH, AND WERE REASSESSED FOR STUDY VARIABLES AT DAY 30. RESULTS: THERE WAS A REDUCTION FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 IN WEIGHT ( P <0.001), BMI ( P <0.001), WAIST/HIP-RATIO ( P <0.05), BLOOD GLUCOSE ( P <0.01), AND A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN LIPID PROFILE. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN MEDIAN FASTING INSULIN ( P <0.05), HOMEOSTATIC MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE ( P <0.01), AND IL-6 ( PP <0.05). A NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 25-OH-VITAMIN D, AND A DECREASE IN NEOPTERIN AND VASPIN WERE OBSERVED. TWENTY SUBJECTS RETURNED FOR FOLLOW UP ASSESSMENTS. AT DAY 30, WEIGHT LOSS WAS SUSTAINED WHILE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE ALSO SHOWED REDUCTION ( P <0.05). CHANGES IN VITAMIN D LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN WEIGHT, BMI AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND POSITIVELY WITH CHANGE IN HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT AND BMI SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH INSULIN. CHANGES IN IL-6 LEVELS POSITIVELY AND SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH CHANGE IN NEOPTERIN LEVELS. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT IL-6, VITAMIN D, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS WERE FAVOURABLY MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OBESITY. THIS STUDY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE CHALLENGES IN COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOLLOW UP OF SUBJECTS FOLLOWING AN AGGRESSIVE SUPERVISED INTERVENTION OF 10 DAYS. 2015 17 692 27 EFFECT OF COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON OXIDATIVE STRESS AND GLYCEMIC PARAMETERS IN PREDIABETES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, BLOOD PRESSURE AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN PREDIABETES. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY NINE PREDIABETES SUBJECTS AGED 30-75 YEARS. SETTING: YOGA WAS CONDUCTED AT 4 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY DIABETES CLINICS IN MANGALORE, INDIA. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER 3-MONTH YOGA OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MALONDIALDEHYDE, GLUTATHIONE, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN E, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, PLASMA GLUCOSE, GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN, BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO AND BLOOD PRESSURE. RESULTS: YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN MALONDIALDEHYDE (P<0.001), RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. IN COMPARISON WITH THE CONTROL, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND FASTING GLUCOSE LEVELS AT FOLLOW-UP. NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO OR ANY OF THE ANTIOXIDANTS WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE HELPFUL IN CONTROL OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN PREDIABETES SUBJECTS. YOGA CAN ALSO BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCTION IN BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND FASTING GLUCOSE. EFFECT OF YOGA ON ANTIOXIDANT PARAMETERS WAS NOT EVIDENT IN THIS STUDY. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN LARGER TRIALS INVOLVING ACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. 2013 18 959 31 EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON LIPID PROFILES OF DIABETES PATIENTS WITH DYSLIPIDEMIA. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DYSLIPIDEMIA IN PATIENTS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED PARALLEL STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN MEDICAL COLLEGE TRIVANDRUM, KERALA, INDIA. HUNDRED TYPE 2 DIABETICS WITH DYSLIPIDEMIA WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL AND YOGA GROUPS. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS PRESCRIBED ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED YOGA DAILY FOR 1 H DURATION ALONG WITH ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS FOR 3 MONTHS. THE LIPID PROFILES OF BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARED AT THE START AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: AFTER INTERVENTION WITH YOGA FOR A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS THE STUDY GROUP SHOWED A DECREASE IN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES AND LDL, WITH AN IMPROVEMENT IN HDL. CONCLUSION: YOGA, BEING A LIFESTYLE INCORPORATING EXERCISE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING, TARGETS THE ELEVATED LIPID LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES THROUGH INTEGRATED APPROACHES. 2013 19 1104 29 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS SHAM YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN TRE A T I N G TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. THE PRESENT STUDY PROCEEDS IN THE FIELD BY PROVIDING AN ACTIVE CONTROL. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. FORTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER YOGA (N = 20) OR SHAM YOGA (N = 20) AS A CONTROL. YOGA INCLUDED POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES, AND NONAEROBIC STRETCHING EXERCISE COMPRISED THE CONTROL. SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN MALONDIALDEHYDE, VITAMIN C, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE EVIDENT IN BOTH GROUPS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN REDUCED GLUTATHIONE COMPARED TO CONTROLS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN ANY OTHER OUTCOME VARIABLES. YOGA AND SHAM YOGA HAD IDENTICAL EFFECTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. LEVELS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IMPROVED ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP. THIS RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED BY LARGER AND SUFFICIENTLY POWERED STUDIES. 2020 20 661 38 EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING ON THE SOMATIZATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS OF HEALTHY WOMEN. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE FEELINGS AND THAT IT IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. OUR PREVIOUS STUDY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT LONG-TERM YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES STRESS-RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ANXIETY AND ANGER. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON SOMATIZATION, THE MOST COMMON STRESS-RELATED PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. WE PERFORMED A PROSPECTIVE, SINGLE ARM STUDY TO EXAMINE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING ON SOMATIZATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. METHODS: WE RECRUITED HEALTHY WOMEN WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA. THE DATA OF 24 PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE FOLLOWED DURING 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING WERE ANALYZED. SOMATIZATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATE (POMS) AND THE SYMPTOM CHECKLIST-90-REVISED (SCL-90-R) QUESTIONNAIRES. URINARY 8-HYDROXYDEOXYGUANOSINE (8-OHDG), BIOPYRRIN, AND CORTISOL LEVELS WERE MEASURED AS STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS. THE WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE THE STRESS-RELATED BIOMARKERS AND THE SCORES OF QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING, ALL NEGATIVE SUBSCALE SCORES (TENSION-ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER-HOSTILITY, FATIGUE, AND CONFUSION) FROM THE POMS AND SOMATIZATION, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND HOSTILITY FROM THE SCL-90-R WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED COMPARED WITH THOSE BEFORE STARTING YOGA TRAINING. CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATION, THE URINARY 8-OHDG CONCENTRATION AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE COMPARED WITH THAT BEFORE STARTING YOGA TRAINING. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN THE LEVELS OF URINARY BIOPYRRIN AND CORTISOL AFTER THE 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA TRAINING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE THE SOMATIZATION SCORE AND THE SCORES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS, SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER, AND FATIGUE. THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE SOMATIZATION AND MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF PSYCHOSOMATIC SYMPTOMS IN HEALTHY WOMEN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL INFORMATION NETWORK (UMIN CTR) UMIN000007868. 2014