1 2466 99 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS HISTORICALLY A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED CLINICALLY AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON THE BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL LITERATURE INVOLVING RESEARCH ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN PUBLICATION FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING USE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. TYPES OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE INCLUDED PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL (E.G. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), CARDIOVASCULAR (E.G. HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE), RESPIRATORY (E.G. ASTHMA), DIABETES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS. A MAJORITY OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY INDIAN INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLISHED IN INDIAN JOURNALS, PARTICULARLY YOGA SPECIALTY JOURNALS, ALTHOUGH RECENT TRENDS INDICATE INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INVESTIGATORS IN THE U.S. AND ENGLAND. YOGA THERAPY IS A RELATIVELY NOVEL AND EMERGING CLINICAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE BROAD CATEGORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, WHOSE GROWTH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BURGEONING POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE WEST AND THE INCREASING WORLDWIDE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2004 2 1566 9 LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA. ABSTRACT QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS ABOUT PAIN CONDITIONS AND ANALGESIC PHARMACOTHERAPY AND RESPONSES FROM AUTHORS ARE PRESENTED TO HELP EDUCATE PATIENTS AND MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE SELF-ADVOCATES. THE TOPIC ADDRESSED IN THIS ISSUE IS CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO VISIT ONE'S PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, WILL BE ADDRESSED. 2014 3 2490 21 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 4 2013 28 SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA: A BREATH OF HOPE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IMPORTANT COUNTER MEASURES TO COMBAT AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PANDEMIC INCLUDE VACCINATION, ANTIVIRAL THERAPY, AND IMMUNOMODULATION THERAPY. VACCINATIONS ARE DISEASE SPECIFIC AND MOREOVER STRAIN SPECIFIC, SO THE PROTECTION PROVIDED IS ALSO SPECIFIC AND LIMITED. ANTIVIRAL THERAPIES ARE COSTLY AND REQUIRE BULK PRODUCTION OF DRUGS, HENCE GLOBALLY THERE IS AN INCREASED INTEREST TOWARD LOW-RISK, COST-EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA AND AYURVEDA TO TACKLE THE INFECTIOUS PANDEMIC, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19). THERE IS CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE ON THE POTENTIAL COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF YOGIC PRACTICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NONCOMMUNICABLE AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. VARIOUS ONLINE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2020. DATABASES EXPLORED WERE MEDLINE, EMBASE, INDIAN CITATION INDEX, PSYCINFO, INDEX MEDICUS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. ALL SEARCH RESULTS WERE SCREENED, AND ARTICLES RELATED TO KEYWORDS SUCH AS COVID-19, YOGA THERAPY, AND SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) WERE SELECTED FOR DATA EXTRACTION. QUALITY OF THE STUDIES INCLUDED WAS EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY, CONTENT VALIDITY, RELEVANCE, BIAS, CREDIBILITY RELATING TO INFORMATION, AND DATA SOURCES. SKY IS A UNIQUE YOGIC PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES SPECIFIC SEQUENTIAL BREATHING TECHNIQUES. IT BALANCES THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THUS CAN ALLEVIATE ANXIETY, ROUTINE STRESS, DEPRESSION, STRESS-RELATED MEDICAL DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS. IT POTENTIATES NATURAL HOST IMMUNE DEFENSES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO TACKLE A PLETHORA OF MICROBIAL INFECTIONS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS THAT SKY CAN OFFER TO THE POPULATION AT LARGE DURING THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 5 1927 26 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 61 43 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF YOGA RESEARCH IN 2020. OBJECTIVES: ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE GARNERED IN THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE OF YOGA IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. THE OVERWHELMING MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY MEDIATED BY NONCOMMUNICABLE EPIDEMICS SUCH AS HEART DISEASE AND CANCER HAVE FOSTERED A SEARCH FOR MECHANISMS TO ATTENUATE THEM. DESPITE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS IN ACUTE CARE, THE EFFICACY OF MODERN MEDICINES HAS BEEN LIMITED ON THIS FRONT. YOGA IS ONE OF THE INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES THAT HAS COME TO LIGHT AS HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN PREVENTING AND MITIGATING SUCH DISORDERS. IT THUS SEEMS TRITE TO ANALYZE AND DISCUSS THE RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS IN YOGA FOR 2020. THE PRESENT REVIEW ATTEMPTS TO DISTILL RECENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM VOLUMINOUS LITERATURE GENERATED IN 2020. METHODS: THIS REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED ON THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED OR ASSIGNED TO AN ISSUE IN 2020. THE AUTHORS SEARCHED THE PUBMED DATABASE FOR CLINICAL STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, USING YOGA (INCLUDING MEDITATION) AS THE INTERVENTION, AND HAVING AN ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION. THEN, THEY EXTRACTED DATA FROM EACH STUDY INTO A STANDARDIZED GOOGLE SHEET. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 1149 CITATIONS WERE RETRIEVED IN THE INITIAL SEARCH. OF THESE, 46 STUDIES MET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND WERE FINALLY INCLUDED. THE STUDIES WERE PREDOMINANTLY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, ADDRESSING VARIOUS ISSUES SUCH AS ANXIETY, POSTURAL BALANCE, MIGRAINE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND CHILDHOOD NEGLECT. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION WERE OTHER COMMON DENOMINATORS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE ON CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING EXERCISE CAPACITY, CARDIAC REHABILITATION, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, AND HYPERTENSION. THREE STUDIES WERE ON DIABETES, EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA. FIVE STUDIES FOCUSED ON COGNITION, HEALTH STATUS, AND AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND FEW OTHERS INCLUDED CANCERS, INFERTILITY, ULCERATIVE COLITIS, URINARY INCONTINENCE, RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, CHRONIC PAIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME. FINALLY, MOST STUDIES WERE ON NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES WITH ONE EXCEPTION, HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS; TWO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE DEDICATED TO IT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED UNDER A WIDE VARIETY OF CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE YEAR 2020. THIS LANDSCAPE REVIEW INTENDS TO PROVIDE AN IDEA OF THE ROLE OF YOGA IN VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND ITS FUTURE THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS. 2022 7 2454 26 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 8 403 29 BIBLIOMETRIC PROFILE AND DENSITY VISUALIZING ANALYSIS OF YOGA INTERVENTION IN TYPE 2 DIABETES: A 44 - YEAR STUDY ON GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OUTPUT FROM 1975 TO 2019. THE AIM OF THE PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN IN-DEPTH EVALUATION OF THE RESEARCH OUTPUT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS FROM 1975 TO 2019 USING LARGE-SCALE DATA ANALYSIS, BIBLIOMETRIC INDICATORS, AND DENSITY EQUALIZING MAPPING. DATA RELATED TO YOGA-DIABETIC RESEARCH, AS SEARCH DESCRIPTORS WERE RETRIEVED USING THE SCOPUS DATABASE. THE MOST COMMON BIBLIOMETRIC INDICATORS WERE ANNUAL RESEARCH OUTPUT, TOTAL CITATIONS, PRODUCTIVE COUNTRIES AND LEADING AUTHORS, JOURNALS AND INSTITUTIONS, AND FREQUENTLY CITED ARTICLES. THE NUMBER OF GLOBAL RESEARCH ARTICLES RETRIEVED FOR YOGA-DIABETIC RESEARCH OVER THE STUDY PERIOD 1975-2019 WAS 411. THE GROWTH RATE OF GLOBAL PUBLICATIONS IN 2015-2019 IS FOUR TIMES AS HIGH AS IN 1975-2003. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CITATIONS FOR THE RETRIEVED ARTICLES WAS 7189, AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CITATIONS PER ARTICLE WAS 23.82. OF THESE JOURNALS, THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE HAS PUBLISHED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PAPERS, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR 2.9% OF TOTAL PUBLICATIONS. THIS STUDY SHOWED A WIDE VARIETY OF JOURNALS IN WHICH YOGA-DIABETIC ARTICLES ARE PUBLISHED; THESE BIBLIOMETRIC INDICATORS PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION ON PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF RESEARCH OUTPUT. THEREFORE, THIS STUDY PROVIDES A HELPFUL REFERENCE FOR ENDOCRINOLOGISTS, YOGA THERAPISTS, POLICY DECISION-MAKERS, AND DIABETES RESEARCHERS. 2021 9 1911 21 ROLE OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - A NARRATIVE REVIEW. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS POSED AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN TERMS OF LIMITED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND PROVEN MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE INFECTION. THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON EITHER THE PATHOGEN OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. HOWEVER, EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE HOST IMMUNITY ARE IMPORTANT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DOWNREGULATE THE POTENCY OF THE INFECTIOUS AGENT. WHILE A VACCINE CAN INDUCE SPECIFIC IMMUNITY IN THE HOST, NON-SPECIFIC WAYS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HOST IMMUNITY ARE NEEDED AS WELL. THIS SCENARIO HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN THERAPIES SUCH AS AYURVEDA AND YOGA. THIS REVIEW AIMS AT COLLATING AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON AYURVEDA, YOGA, AND COVID-19. FURTHER, IT DRAWS INFERENCES FROM RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON IMMUNITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPECTIVELY TO APPROXIMATE ITS PROBABLE ROLE IN PROPHYLAXIS AND AS AN ADD-ON MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. 2022 10 921 23 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION MODULE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES AND DIABETES ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) IS WIDELY SPREAD IN SOUTH ASIAN (ASEAN) AND INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT. THE INCREASING HEALTHCARE COSTS OF DM CAN BE PREVENTED IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD BY IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTHCARE INTERVENTIONS. MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS OF DM LIKE SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, OBESITY, AND STRESSFUL CONDITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ITS PROGRESSION; HOWEVER, THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS ARE LIMITED. SUMMARY: A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED LITERATURE DESCRIBING GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF DM AND ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IN SOUTH ASIAN REGION, PARTICULARLY INDIA, WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY AND CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA-BASED RISK REDUCTION. PUBMED AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR DM AND DEMENTIA-RELATED ARTICLES BY USING A COMBINATION OF KEYWORDS: DIABETES, DIABETES RELATED DEMENTIA SOUTHEAST ASIA, PRE-DIABETES, YOGA, LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION, DEMENTIA AND EXERCISE. THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA GENERATED FROM THESE DISEASES HAVE NOT PROMPTED TO ANY MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES. YOGA CAN BE A COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TYPE 2 DM (T2DM) AND ITS ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DECLINE WHEN DETECTED EARLY. IF NATIONWIDE INTERVENTION OF YOGA IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE STATE, ITS INTEGRATION IN HEALTH CARE WILL BECOME MORE MEANINGFUL AND ACCEPTABLE. KEY MESSAGE: STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE CAN MODIFY THE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH T2DM AND ASSOCIATED DEMENTIA IF IT IS MAINSTREAMED WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE OF AYUSHMAN BHARAT SCHEME. 2020 11 2805 24 YOGA THERAPY IN THE GERMAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. AN ESTIMATED 15.7 MILLION GERMANS ARE CURRENTLY PRACTICING YOGA OR ARE AT LEAST INTERESTED IN STARTING TO PRACTICE, AND THEY OFTEN PERCEIVE YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. FROM A HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE, THE SITUATION IS LESS CLEAR. HERE, YOGA IS ONLY RECOGNIZED AS A RECREATIONAL OR PREVENTIVE ACTIVITY. WHEN YOGA TEACHERS FULFILL SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, THEIR PREVENTIVE YOGA CLASSES ARE COVERED BY THE STATUTORY HEALTH INSURANCES. ONLY THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IN MEDICINE OR PSYCHOTHERAPY, HOWEVER, CAN INDEPENDENTLY USE AND PROMOTE "YOGA THERAPY." THE GENERAL PERCEPTION OF YOGA IN GERMANY AS A PREVENTIVE PRACTICE IS REFLECTED IN THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF YOGA PROVIDERS. MOST PROVIDERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE YOGA TEACHERS RATHER THAN YOGA THERAPISTS AND ARE ORGANIZED MAINLY IN YOGA TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS. DESPITE THE UNCERTAIN LEGAL FRAMEWORK, YOGA IS NOW CONSIDERED IN A NUMBER OF MEDICAL GUIDELINES; IN A NUMBER OF HOSPITALS, YOGA IS PART OF MULTIMODAL INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND IS DELIVERED BY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS OR MEMBERS OF OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONS. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF YOGA THERAPY CLINICAL TRIALS ARE CONDUCTED IN GERMANY, AND EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO ESTABLISH YOGA THERAPY AS AN ACCEPTED ADJUNCT TREATMENT APPROACH FOR SELECTED MEDICAL CONDITIONS WITHIN THE GERMAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. 2018 12 1403 21 IMPACT OF YOGA ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION AND ARRHYTHMIAS. WITH THE EXPANDING INTEGRATION OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) PRACTICES IN CONJUNCTION WITH MODERN MEDICINE, YOGA HAS QUICKLY RISEN TO BEING ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAM PRACTICES ACROSS THE WORLD. DESPITE WIDESPREAD USE OF YOGA, LIMITED STUDIES ARE AVAILABLE, PARTICULARLY IN THE SETTING OF DYSRHYTHMIA. PRELIMINARY STUDIES DEMONSTRATE PROMISING RESULTS FROM INTEGRATION OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO MEDICAL THERAPY FOR MANAGEMENT OF DYSRHYTHMIAS. IN THIS REVIEW, WE DISCUSS THE ROLE OF AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA,INTERACTION OF YOGA WITH AUTONOMIC TONE AND ITS SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON THESE DISEASE STATES. THE ROLE OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DISEASE STATES, AND POTENTIAL FUTURE DIRECTION FOR STUDIES ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN DYSRHYTHMIA. 2020 13 373 28 AYURVEDA AND YOGA IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. AYURVEDA IS DERIVED FROM 2 SANSKRIT WORDS, NAMELY, "AYUS" AND "VEDA," MEANING LIFE AND KNOWLEDGE, RESPECTIVELY. IT LITERALLY MEANS SCIENCE OF LIFE. AYURVEDA, OF WHICH YOGA IS AN INTEGRAL PART, IS WIDELY PRACTICED IN INDIA AND IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE AND A HOLISTIC SYSTEM, THE FOCUS OF WHICH IS ON THE BODY, MIND, AND CONSCIOUSNESS. THE AYURVEDIC TREATMENT CONSISTS OF THE USE HERBAL PREPARATIONS, DIET, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND OTHER PRACTICES. BASED ON THE REVIEW OF AVAILABLE STUDIES, THE EVIDENCE IS NOT CONVINCING THAT ANY AYURVEDIC HERBAL TREATMENT IS EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE OR HYPERTENSION. HOWEVER, THE USE OF CERTAIN SPICES AND HERBS SUCH AS GARLIC AND TURMERIC IN AN OVERALL HEALTHY DIET IS APPROPRIATE. MANY HERBS USED BY AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONERS SHOW PROMISE AND COULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR LARGER RANDOMIZED TRIALS. YOGA, AN INTEGRAL PART OF AYURVEDA, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL TO PATIENTS WITH HEART DISEASE AND HYPERTENSION. YOGA REDUCES ANXIETY, PROMOTES WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE. ITS SAFETY PROFILE IS EXCELLENT. ITS USE AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION IS APPROPRIATE AND COULD BE WORTH CONSIDERING. 2005 14 538 14 COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR NECK PAIN: CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS. OF THE MULTITUDE OF TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NECK PAIN, NO OBVIOUS SINGLE TREATMENT MODALITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE MOST EFFICACIOUS. AS SUCH, THE CLINICIAN SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES IF A MODALITY IS ENGAGING, AVAILABLE, FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, POTENTIALLY EFFICACIOUS, AND IS LOW RISK FOR THE PATIENT. AS EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE FOR NECK PAIN DEVELOPS, THE CLINICIAN IS FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF WHICH TREATMENTS TO ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO PURSUE. TREATMENT MODALITIES EXPLORED IN THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS, REPRESENT REASONABLE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE METHODS FOR PATIENTS WITH NECK PAIN. 2011 15 1936 22 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS) ARE A GROUP OF DISORDERS OF THE HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS. CVDS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE. THOUGH YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN CVD PATIENTS, THERE IS A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW REPORTING ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. THUS, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE. AN AGGREGATE OF 603 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM INCEPTION WERE SCREENED AND 85 ARTICLES THAT ARE APPLICABLE WERE REPORTED. THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PLAY A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, DIFFERENT TYPES AND DURATIONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MECHANISMS BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS. THUS, FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS OF THE IMPACTS OF YOGA. 2020 16 94 23 A NARRATIVE REVIEW ON ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTOR, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD AS WELL AS IN INDIA THAT GREATLY AFFECTS THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR AND ECONOMY. USE OF DRUGS HAS ITS OWN DRAWBACKS AND IN RECENT DAYS THE USE OF NON-MEDICAL MEASURES WERE REPORTED NOT ONLY TO MANAGE T2DM, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT ITS COMPLICATIONS. THROUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS REVIEW ARTICLES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RISK PROFILES, MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN T2DM SEPARATELY, THERE IS A LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMBINATION WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM COMPLICATIONS. HENCE, WE PERFORMED A NARRATIVE REVIEW IN MEDLINE/PUBMED USING KEYWORD "YOGA AND DIABETES". ALL THE RELEVANT ARTICLES PUBLISHED TILL 08TH NOVEMBER 2016 WERE INCLUDED. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA PLAYS A VITAL ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTORS, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE T2DM. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED USING STANDARD RESEARCH DESIGNS AND VARIABLES TO FIND OUT THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS OF EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DETAIL. 2017 17 2130 27 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO PREVENT DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2: A PROTOCOL FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS BECOMING A LEADING PROBLEM WORLDWIDE. EMERGING REPORTS REVEAL ALARMING EVIDENCE OF INCREASING PREVALENCE OF T2DM THAT HAS REACHED PANDEMIC LEVELS. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENCE, THERE ARE LIMITED RELIABLE DATA RESOURCES AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE A PREDIABETIC OR HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING T2DM. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO CONDUCT A FULL-SCALE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE PREDIABETES OR HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING T2DM. METHODS: THE ARTICLES ENROLLED IN THE STUDY WILL BE RETRIEVED FROM THE ONLINE DATABASES BETWEEN 2002 AND THE DATE THE SEARCHES ARE EXECUTED. THE SEARCHES WILL BE REPEATED JUST BEFORE THE FINAL ANALYSES AND FURTHER RELEVANT STUDIES FOR INCLUSION. WE WILL CONDUCT A BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCH IN DATABASES: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EBSCO, AND INDMED USING KEYWORDS INCLUDING PREDIABETES STATE, HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, AND YOGA. A DEFINED SEARCH STRATEGY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH SELECTION CRITERIA TO OBTAIN FULL-TEXT ARTICLES OF RELEVANT STUDIES. THIS STUDY PROTOCOL WAS PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS FOR PROTOCOLS 2015 GUIDELINES. THERE WILL BE NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE BASED ON PUBLISHED STUDIES AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ANONYMIZED DATA WITHOUT DIRECTLY INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS AND THEREFORE REQUIRES NEITHER FORMAL HUMAN ETHICAL REVIEW NOR APPROVAL BY A HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE. WE PUBLISHED AN OUTLINE OF THE PROTOCOL IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTER OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (PROSPERO) IN 2018. WE PLAN TO DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS THROUGH PUBLICATION IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL AND PRESENTATION AT RELEVANT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. IN ADDITION, WE BELIEVE THE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WE WILL PREPARE POLICYMAKER SUMMARY USING A VALIDATED FORMAT, DISSEMINATE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD 42018106657. 2019 18 1185 32 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 1894 38 RESEARCH TRENDS IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA TO HUMAN HEALTH: A DATA SCIENCE APPROACH. YOGA IS AN INTEGRATIVE MIND-BODY SYSTEM OF WELLBEING DEVELOPED IN INDIA SINCE AT LEAST THREE MILLENNIA. YOGA HAS GAINED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN RECENT DECADES, PARTLY DRIVEN BY RECENT RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE ABOUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS. IN THIS WORK, WE EXTRACTED RESEARCH TRENDS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HUMAN HEALTH FROM THE US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE'S PUBMED DATABASE (PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PAPERS). WE FOUND THAT YOGA RESEARCH SPANS ALL ORGAN SYSTEMS AND SYSTEM-WIDE ISSUES SUCH AS PAIN AND CANCER. RESEARCH ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FAR OUTPACES OTHER SYSTEMS, WHICH IS EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF BREATHING AND EXERCISE ON STRESS REDUCTION, WHICH HAS BEEN A MAJOR APPLICATION OF YOGA. THE NEXT CLUSTER OF IMPACT CONCERNS THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AND PAIN (BOTH RELATED TO THE EXERCISE [ASANA] ASPECTS OF YOGA), AS WELL AS CARDIOVASCULAR/ENDOCRINE (ALSO RELATED TO STRESS) AND CANCER. STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH, PAIN, DIABETES, AND CANCER ARE HEALTH ISSUES FOR WHICH A PERMANENT CURE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN A MAJORITY OF CASES IN MODERN MEDICINE, ALTHOUGH ALLEVIATING TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. THIS HAS PROBABLY FUELED INTEREST IN COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA FOR THESE HEALTH ISSUES. RESEARCH TIMELINE SHOWS THAT YOGA-RELATED RESEARCH LARGELY EXPANDED ONLY AFTER THE 2000S. THERE WAS A SPECIFIC UPTICK AFTER 2004. SIMILAR TRENDS ARE SEEN IF WE LOOK AT JUST CLINICAL TRIALS OR RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS (RCTS) OR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. THE PERCENTAGE OF TRIALS (CLINICAL AND RCT) AMONG PUBLISHED LITERATURE IS AROUND 10-15 % THIS IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER FIELDS THAT GAINED TRACTION AROUND 2000S (E.G. NON-INVASIVE BRAIN STIMULATION). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION SHOWS THAT 37% OF ALL YOGA RELATED RESEARCH OUTPUT ORIGINATES IN THE USA, 19% FROM INDIA, 13% FROM EUROPE AND 31% FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD. THEREFORE, THE INTEREST IS WIDESPREAD AND GLOBAL. AT LEAST THE UPTICK IN YOGA-RELATED RESEARCH IN THE US POST-2000S CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A SUBSTANTIAL JUMP IN FUNDING BETWEEN 1998 AND 2005 FROM US NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH (NCCIH). WE CAN ONLY SURMISE THAT RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD REACHED A CRITICAL MASS IN LATE-1990S, WHICH INFUSED MORE MONEY INTO THIS FIELD, GENERATING MORE RESEARCH AND CREATING A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP THAT HAS SUSTAINED THE GROWTH SO FAR. WE PROPOSE THAT IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN OR EVEN ACCELERATE FUTURE RESEARCH IN THE AREA, RIGOR AND REPRODUCIBILITY MUST BE ENHANCED IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING MORE RCT AND CLINICAL TRIALS (INCREASING % OF TRIALS TO 20-25% FROM 10-15%). THE FRUITS OF RESEARCH IN THE FIELD HAS TO REACH THE COMMON MAN IN TERMS OF EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO HEALTH ISSUES. WITHOUT THIS, ACCELERATED FUNDING IN DEMOCRACIES SUCH AS INDIA AND THE USA WILL NOT BE REALIZABLE. 2020 20 2706 30 YOGA INTO CANCER CARE: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH. TO COPE WITH CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS AND TOXICITIES, PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM). CONSEQUENTLY, INTEGRATIVE ONCOLOGY, WHICH COMBINES CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES AND EVIDENCE-BASED CAM PRACTICES, IS AN EMERGING DISCIPLINE IN CANCER CARE. THE USE OF YOGA AS A CAM IS PROVING TO BE BENEFICIAL AND INCREASINGLY GAINING POPULARITY. AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH (PUBMED), THROUGH DECEMBER 15, 2016, REVEALED 138 RELEVANT CLINICAL TRIALS (SINGLE-ARMED, NONRANDOMIZED, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS) ON THE USE OF YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS. A TOTAL OF 10,660 CANCER PATIENTS FROM 20 COUNTRIES WERE RECRUITED IN THESE STUDIES. REGARDLESS OF SOME METHODOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES, MOST OF THE STUDIES REPORTED THAT YOGA IMPROVED THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MARKERS OF IMMUNITY OF THE PATIENTS, PROVIDING A STRONG SUPPORT FOR YOGA'S INTEGRATION INTO CONVENTIONAL CANCER CARE. THIS REVIEW ARTICLE PRESENTS THE PUBLISHED CLINICAL RESEARCH ON THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA'S USE IN CANCER PATIENTS SO THAT ONCOLOGISTS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PATIENTS ARE AWARE OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE USE OF THIS RELATIVELY SAFE MODALITY IN CANCER CARE. 2018