1 2295 107 THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA PRACTICES IN MODIFYING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PROFILE IN MIDDLE AGED MEN AND WOMEN. AIMS OF STUDY: TO STUDY EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING, PSYCHOMOTOR PARAMETER AND MODIFYING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN MILD TO MODERATE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS. METHODS: TWENTY PATIENTS (16 MALES, 4 FEMALES) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 35 TO 55 YEARS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION UNDERWENT YOGIC PRACTICES DAILY FOR ONE HOUR FOR THREE MONTHS. BIOCHEMICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WERE STUDIED PRIOR AND FOLLOWING PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICES, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS INCLUDED, BLOOD GLUCOSE, LIPID PROFILE, CATECHOLMINES, MDA, VIT. C CHOLINESTERASE AND URINARY VMA. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION WAS DONE BY USING PERSONAL ORIENTATION INVENTORY AND SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED DECREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND DRUG SCORE MODIFYING RISK FACTORS, I.E. BLOOD GLUCOSE, CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES DECREASED OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE WAS DECREASE IN VMA CATECHOLAMINE, AND DECREASE MDA LEVEL SUGGESTIVE DECREASE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND OXIDANT STRESS. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RISK MODIFICATION FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN MILD TO MODERATE HYPERTENSION. 2002 2 1453 28 INFLUENCE OF PRANAYAMAS AND YOGA-ASANAS ON SERUM INSULIN, BLOOD GLUCOSE AND LIPID PROFILE IN TYPE 2 DIABETES. A DISTINGUISHABLE FEATURE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES BESIDES HYPERGLYCEMIA AND DERANGED LIPID PROFILE IS AN IMPAIRED INSULIN SECRETION, PERIPHERAL INSULIN RESISTANCE AND OBESITY WHICH HAS BECOME A MAJOR HEALTH CONCERN WORLDWIDE. INDIA WITH AN ESTIMATED 31MILLION DIABETICS IN 2000 AND 79MLLIONS BY THE YR 2030 HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF TYPE 2 DIABETICS IN THE WORLD. IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO SEE IF YOGA-ASANAS AND PRANAYAMAS HAVE ANY INFLUENCE IN MODIFYING CERTAIN BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS. SIXTY PATIENTS OF UNCOMPLICATED TYPE 2 DIABETES (AGE 35-60 YRS OF 1-10 YRS DURATION) WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP 1 (N=30): PERFORMED YOGA ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL HYPOGLYCEMIC MEDICINES AND GROUP 2 (N=30): PATIENTS WHO ONLY RECEIVED CONVENTIONAL MEDICINES. DURATION OF THE STUDY WAS 45 DAYS. BASAL RECORDINGS OF BLOOD GLUCOSE (FASTING AND POST-PRANDIAL), LIPID PROFILE AND SERUM INSULIN WERE TAKEN AT THE TIME OF RECRUITMENT AND THE SECOND READING AFTER FORTY FIVE DAYS. RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN GROUP 1 WHILE GROUP 2 SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ONLY FEW PARAMETERS, THUS SUGGESTING A BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON THESE PARAMETERS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS. 2008 3 2490 19 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 1933 34 ROLE OF YOGA IN MODIFYING CERTAIN CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS. OBJECTIVES: 1. TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF FORTY DAYS OF YOGIC EXERCISES ON CARDIAC FUNCTIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETICS. 2. TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF FORTY DAYS OF YOGIC EXERCISES ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN. METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY DONE IN TWENTY-FOUR TYPE 2 DM CASES PROVIDES METABOLIC AND CLINICAL EVIDENCE OF IMPROVEMENT IN GLYCAEMIC CONTROL AND AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS. THESE MIDDLE-AGED SUBJECTS WERE TYPE II DIABETICS ON ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC AND DIETARY REGIMEN. THEIR BASELINE FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE AND GLYCOSYLATED HB WERE MONITORED ALONG WITH AUTONOMIC FUNCTION STUDIES. THE EXPERT GAVE THESE PATIENTS TRAINING IN YOGA ASANAS AND THEY PURSUED THOSE 30-40 MIN/DAY FOR 40 DAYS UNDER GUIDANCE. THESE ASANAS CONSISTED OF 13 WELL KNOWN POSTURES, DONE IN A SEQUENCE. AFTER 40 DAYS OF YOGA ASANAS REGIMEN, THE PARAMETERS WERE REPEATED. RESULTS: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS FROM BASAL 190.08 +/- 18.54 IN MG/DL TO 141.5 +/- 16.3 IN MG/DL AFTER YOGA REGIMEN. THE POST PRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS DECREASED FROM 276.54 +/- 20.62 IN MG/DL TO 201.75 +/- 21.24 IN MG/DL, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN SHOWED A DECREASE FROM 9.03 +/- 0.29% TO 7.83 +/- 0.53% AFTER YOGA REGIMEN. THE PULSE RATE, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 86.45 +/- 2.0 TO 77.65 +/- 2.5 PULSE/MIN, FROM 142.0 +/- 3.9 TO 126.0 +/- 3.2 MM OF HG AND FROM 86.7 +/- 2.5 MM OF HG TO 75.5 +/- 2.1 MM OF HG AFTER YOGA REGIMEN RESPECTIVELY). CORRECTED QT INTERVAL (QTC) DECREASED FROM 0.42 +/- 0.0 TO 0.40 +/- 0.0. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT BETTER GLYCAEMIC CONTROL AND STABLE AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS CAN BE OBTAINED IN TYPE 2 DM CASES WITH YOGA ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA. THE EXACT MECHANISM AS TO HOW THESE POSTURES AND CONTROLLED BREATHING INTERACT WITH SOMATO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE MECHANISM AFFECTING METABOLIC AND AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS REMAINS TO BE WORKED OUT. 2004 5 1374 34 IMPACT OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY PROTOCOL ON INSULIN RESISTANCE AND GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. OBJECTIVE: DIABETES MELLITUS (DM), CHARACTERIZED BY CHRONIC HYPERGLYCEMIA, IS ATTRIBUTED TO RELATIVE INSULIN DEFICIENCY OR RESISTANCE, OR BOTH. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN MODULATE PARAMETERS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE. THE PRESENT STUDY EXPLORED THE POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY WITH REFERENCE TO GLYCEMIC CONTROL AND INSULIN RESISTANCE (IR) IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES MAINTAINED ON STANDARD ORAL MEDICAL CARE WITH YOGA THERAPY, COMPARED TO THOSE ON STANDARD ORAL MEDICAL CARE ALONE. METHODS: IN THIS STUDY, THE SUBJECTS ON YOGA INTERVENTION COMPRISED 35 TYPE 2 DIABETICS, AND AN EQUAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS CONSTITUTED THE CONTROL GROUP. SUBJECTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 30 TO 70 YEARS, WITH HEMOGLOBIN A1C (HBA1C) TEST MORE THAN 7%, AND WERE MAINTAINED ON DIABETIC DIET AND ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENTS. BLOOD SAMPLES WERE DRAWN PRIOR TO AND AFTER 120 DAYS OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION. FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE (FBG), POST-PRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE (PPBG), HBA1C, INSULIN, AND LIPID PROFILE WERE ASSESSED IN BOTH THE INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. RESULTS: THE INTERVENTION GROUP REVEALED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) (0.7 KG/M(2) MEDIAN DECREASE; P=0.001), FBG (20 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE; P<0.001), PPBG (33 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE; P<0.001), HBA1C (0.4% MEDIAN DECREASE; P<0.001), HOMEOSTATIC MODEL ASSESSMENT FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE (HOMA-IR) (1.2 MEDIAN DECREASE; P<0.001), CHOLESTEROL (13 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE, P=0.006), TRIACYLGLYCEROL (22 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE; P=0.027), LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (6 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE; P=0.004), AND VERY-LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS (4 MG/DL MEDIAN DECREASE; P=0.032). INCREASES IN HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN AFTER 120 DAYS WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT (6 MG/DL MEDIAN INCREASE; P=0.15). HOWEVER, WHEN COMPARED TO CHANGES OBSERVED IN PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP, ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS PROVED TO BE SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: ADMINISTRATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES LEADS TO A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GLYCEMIC CONTROL, INSULIN RESISTANCE, AND KEY BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS. 2022 6 834 25 EFFECT OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: DIABETES MELLITUS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH. OXIDATIVE STRESS PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM), LEADING TO VARIOUS COMPLICATIONS OF T2DM. YOGA IS BEING WIDELY USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS IS TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS AMONG ADULT PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH T2DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELECTRONIC DATABASES SUCH AS PUBMED, SCOPUS, COCHRANE LIBRARY AND SCIENCE DIRECT FROM START OF THE STUDY TILL MARCH 2020 WERE SEARCHED TO OBTAIN ELIGIBLE STUDIES. STUDY DESIGNS OF ALL NATURE WERE INCLUDED (EXCEPT CASE STUDIES AND REVIEWS). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS MALONDIALDEHYDE (MDA) AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, HBA1C AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (SOD) LEVELS. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF FOUR TRIALS WITH A TOTAL OF 440 PATIENTS MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THE RESULTS OF META-ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED MDA (SMD: -1.4; 95% CI -2.66 TO -0.13; P = 0.03; I2 = 97%), FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE LEVELS (SMD: -1.87: 95% CI -3.83 TO -0.09; P = 0.06; I2= 99%), AND HBA1C (SMD: -1.92; 95% CI - 3.03 TO -0.81; P = 0.0007; I2 = 92%) IN PATIENTS WITH T2DM. NO SUCH EFFECT WAS FOUND FOR SOD (SMD: -1.01; 95% CI -4.41 TO 2.38; P = 0.56; I2= 99%). CONCLUSION: THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA REDUCES MDA, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE AND HBA1C, AND THUS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. HOWEVER, CONSIDERING THE LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDIES AND ITS HETEROGENEITY, FURTHER ROBUST STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO STRENGTHEN OUR FINDINGS AND INVESTIGATE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2022 7 2128 34 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN MODIFYING RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. BACKGROUND: YOGA, A POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE, MAY PRODUCE CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) AND METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS. DESIGN: THIS WAS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND RANDOM-EFFECTS META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS). METHODS: ELECTRONIC SEARCHES OF MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PSYCINFO, AND THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE PERFORMED FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND RCTS THROUGH DECEMBER 2013. STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IF THEY WERE ENGLISH, PEER-REVIEWED, FOCUSED ON ASANA-BASED YOGA IN ADULTS, AND REPORTED RELEVANT OUTCOMES. TWO REVIEWERS INDEPENDENTLY SELECTED ARTICLES AND ASSESSED QUALITY USING COCHRANE'S RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS: OUT OF 1404 RECORDS, 37 RCTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND 32 IN THE META-ANALYSIS. COMPARED TO NON-EXERCISE CONTROLS, YOGA SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOR BODY MASS INDEX (-0.77 KG/M(2) (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL -1.09 TO -0.44)), SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (-5.21 MMHG (-8.01 TO -2.42)), LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (-12.14 MG/DL (-21.80 TO -2.48)), AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (3.20 MG/DL (1.86 TO 4.54)). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE SEEN IN BODY WEIGHT (-2.32 KG (-4.33 TO -0.37)), DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (-4.98 MMHG (-7.17 TO -2.80)), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (-18.48 MG/DL (-29.16 TO -7.80)), TRIGLYCERIDES (-25.89 MG/DL (-36.19 TO -15.60), AND HEART RATE (-5.27 BEATS/MIN (-9.55 TO -1.00)), BUT NOT FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE (-5.91 MG/DL (-16.32 TO 4.50)) NOR GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN (-0.06% HB (-0.24 TO 0.11)). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN YOGA AND EXERCISE. ONE STUDY FOUND AN IMPACT ON SMOKING ABSTINENCE. CONCLUSIONS: THERE IS PROMISING EVIDENCE OF YOGA ON IMPROVING CARDIO-METABOLIC HEALTH. FINDINGS ARE LIMITED BY SMALL TRIAL SAMPLE SIZES, HETEROGENEITY, AND MODERATE QUALITY OF RCTS. 2016 8 938 34 EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS) IS A CLUSTERING OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS APPLIED TO PEOPLE WITH METS HAS CONSIDERABLE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON DISEASE PREVENTIVE OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR OF YOGA EXERCISE ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, DYSLIPIDEMIA AND HYPERGLYCEMIA IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS WITH METS. METHODS: ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH METS USING NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION PROGRAM CRITERIA (N = 182; MEAN +/- SD AGE = 56 +/- 9.1) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR CONTROL GROUP. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, MIDWAY, AND ON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND CALORIC INTAKE WERE ASSESSED AND INCLUDED IN THE COVARIATE ANALYSES. RESULTS: A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC COMPONENTS FOR METS WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA INTERVENTION. WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION. A TREND TOWARDS A DECREASE IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWING YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METS. THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE COMPLEMENTARY BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING METS. 2015 9 1560 27 LONG-TERM YOGA AND AEROBIC/STRENGTH EXERCISE ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH. HATHA YOGA (HY) AND AEROBIC AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISE (ASE) PROGRAMS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE ON LONG-TERM ADHERENCE TO THESE PROGRAMS AND FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE IT IS LACKING IN OLDER ADULTS. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO (1) DESCRIBE AND COMPARE LONG-TERM HY AND ASE ADHERENCE IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS 12 MONTHS POST-HY/ASE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS; (2) IDENTIFY BENEFITS AND FACILITATORS OF, AND BARRIERS TO, LONG-TERM ADHERENCE; AND (3) EXAMINE OTHER SELF-CARE INTERVENTIONS USED AFTER COMPLETING HY OR ASE PROGRAMS. ADHERENCE WAS DEFINED AS FOLLOWING THE PRESCRIBED HY/ASE PROGRAM OR INCORPORATING THE PRACTICE INTO DAILY HABITS. FIVE SEMISTRUCTURED FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS AND 12 MONTHS OF EXERCISE DIARIES WERE OBTAINED FROM 28 WOMEN (MEAN AGE 71.2 YEARS). LONG-TERM ADHERENCE TO THE PRESCRIBED HY OR ASE REGIMEN WAS RELATIVELY HIGH, ALBEIT ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, PRIORITIES, AND PREFERENCES. OVER THE 12-MONTH FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS SPENT ON AVERAGE 3.5 DAYS/3.1 HOURS PER WEEK ON EXERCISE. MOST PARTICIPANTS REMAINED PHYSICALLY ACTIVE BY MODIFYING THEIR PRESCRIBED PROGRAMS AND INTEGRATING ELEMENTS OF THE INTERVENTIONS INTO THEIR OWN EXERCISE REGIMENS. FACILITATORS TO LONG-TERM ADHERENCE WERE PERCEIVED BENEFITS, HAVING AN EXERCISE ROUTINE/HABIT, AND PROGRAM STRUCTURE/INSTRUCTION. POOR HEALTH STATUS, LACK OF TIME, AND EXERCISE PREFERENCES WERE IDENTIFIED AS BARRIERS. PARTICIPANTS USED A VARIETY OF SELF-CARE INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING ORAL SUPPLEMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE DIETS FOR MANAGING THEIR OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS WORK SUGGESTS THAT EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS THAT INCORPORATE INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES, FLEXIBLE HOURS, AND EASY-TO-FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS ARE MOST LIKELY TO RESULT IN LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. 2022 10 2245 33 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 11 1898 32 RESTORATIVE YOGA AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS: THE PRACTICING RESTORATIVE YOGA VS. STRETCHING FOR THE METABOLIC SYNDROME (PRYSMS) RANDOMIZED TRIAL. AIMS: INTENSIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGE PREVENTS TYPE 2 DIABETES BUT IS DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE METABOLIC FACTORS. WE TESTED A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION VS. ACTIVE STRETCHING FOR METABOLIC OUTCOMES. METHODS: IN 2009-2012, WE CONDUCTED A 48-WEEK RANDOMIZED TRIAL COMPARING RESTORATIVE YOGA VS. STRETCHING AMONG UNDERACTIVE ADULTS WITH THE METABOLIC SYNDROME AT THE UNIVERSITIES OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN DIEGO. WE PROVIDED LIFESTYLE COUNSELING AND A TAPERING SERIES OF 90-MIN GROUP CLASSES IN THE 24-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD AND 24-WEEK MAINTENANCE PERIOD. FASTING AND 2-H GLUCOSE, HBA1C, TRIGLYCERIDES, HDL-CHOLESTEROL, INSULIN, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, VISCERAL FAT, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 6- AND 12-MONTHS. RESULTS: 180 PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED AND 135 (75%) COMPLETED THE TRIAL. AT 12 MONTHS, FASTING GLUCOSE DECREASED MORE IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE STRETCHING GROUP (-0.35 MMOL/L VS. -0.03 MMOL/L; P=0.002); THERE WERE NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. AT 6 MONTHS FAVORABLE CHANGES WITHIN THE YOGA GROUP INCLUDED REDUCTIONS IN FASTING GLUCOSE, INSULIN, AND HBA1C AND AN INCREASE IN HDL-CHOLESTEROL THAT WERE NOT SUSTAINED AT 1 YEAR EXCEPT CHANGES IN FASTING GLUCOSE. THE STRETCHING GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TRIGLYCERIDES AT 6 MONTHS WHICH WAS NOT SUSTAINED AT 1 YEAR BUT HAD IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE AT BOTH TIME-POINTS. CONCLUSIONS: RESTORATIVE YOGA WAS MARGINALLY BETTER THAN STRETCHING FOR IMPROVING FASTING GLUCOSE BUT NOT OTHER METABOLIC FACTORS. 2014 12 691 35 EFFECT OF COMMUNITY-BASED STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM ON HBA1C LEVEL AMONG TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS: AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. CONTEXT: IN VIEW OF THE RISING BURDEN OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) CASES IN INDIA, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE, LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTION CONTROLLING DIABETES THUS PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAMS ON DIABETES. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONAL STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN AN URBAN RESETTLEMENT COLONY OF DELHI, INDIA. KNOWN DIABETES PATIENTS WITH GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN (HB1AC) >/=6.5% WERE ENROLLED FROM 12 RANDOMLY SELECTED BLOCKS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH A SAMPLE SIZE OF 192 IN EACH INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LISTED CONTROL ARM. THE INTERVENTION WAS STRUCTURED YOGA OF 50 MIN DAILY, 2 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IN A NEARBY PARK AND HEALTH CENTER FOLLOWED BY TWICE A WEEK HOME PRACTICE UP TO THE 3(RD) MONTH. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HBA1C% AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE LIPID PROFILE AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: APER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS WAS DONE. MEAN, STANDARD DEVIATION (SD), AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL WERE ESTIMATED. THE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS CONSIDERED FOR 0.05. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OF HB1AC (0.5%, SD = 1.5, P = 0.02), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (11.7 MG/DL, SD = 40.5, P < 0.01), AND LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (3.2 MG/DL, SD = 37.4, P < 0.01) FROM BASELINE TO END LINE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP. THESE CHANGES IN INTERVENTION GROUP WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CHANGE IN THE WAIT-LISTED CONTROL GROUP. THE OTHER VARIABLES DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. CONCLUSIONS: IT REVEALED THAT STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVED GLYCEMIC OUTCOME AND LIPID PROFILE OF INDIVIDUALS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED SETTING. YOGA CAN BE A FEASIBLE STRATEGY TO CONTROL HYPERGLYCEMIA, LIPID LEVELS, AND CAN HELP BETTER CONTROL TYPE 2 DM. 2021 13 2629 36 YOGA FOR THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. BACKGROUND: A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE AND STRESS ARE MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). SINCE YOGA INVOLVES EXERCISE AND IS THOUGHT TO HELP IN STRESS REDUCTION IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY IN THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CVD. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ANY TYPE OF YOGA ON THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CVD. SEARCH METHODS: WE SEARCHED THE FOLLOWING ELECTRONIC DATABASES: THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS (CENTRAL) (2013, ISSUE 11) IN THE COCHRANE LIBRARY; MEDLINE (OVID) (1946 TO NOVEMBER WEEK 3 2013); EMBASE CLASSIC + EMBASE (OVID) (1947 TO 2013 WEEK 48); WEB OF SCIENCE (THOMSON REUTERS) (1970 TO 4 DECEMBER 2013); DATABASE OF ABSTRACTS OF REVIEWS OF EFFECTS (DARE), HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT DATABASE AND HEALTH ECONOMICS EVALUATIONS DATABASE (ISSUE 4 OF 4, 2013) IN THE COCHRANE LIBRARY. WE ALSO SEARCHED A NUMBER OF ASIAN DATABASES AND THE ALLIED AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASE (AMED) (INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 2012). WE SEARCHED TRIAL REGISTERS AND REFERENCE LISTS OF REVIEWS AND ARTICLES, AND APPROACHED EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. WE APPLIED NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. SELECTION CRITERIA: RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS LASTING AT LEAST THREE MONTHS INVOLVING HEALTHY ADULTS OR THOSE AT HIGH RISK OF CVD. TRIALS EXAMINED ANY TYPE OF YOGA AND THE COMPARISON GROUP WAS NO INTERVENTION OR MINIMAL INTERVENTION. OUTCOMES OF INTEREST WERE CLINICAL CVD EVENTS AND MAJOR CVD RISK FACTORS. WE DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TRIALS THAT INVOLVED MULTIFACTORIAL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS OR WEIGHT LOSS. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: TWO AUTHORS INDEPENDENTLY SELECTED TRIALS FOR INCLUSION, EXTRACTED DATA AND ASSESSED THE RISK OF BIAS. MAIN RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED 11 TRIALS (800 PARTICIPANTS) AND TWO ONGOING STUDIES. STYLE AND DURATION OF YOGA DIFFERED BETWEEN TRIALS. HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED TO THE STUDIES WERE AT HIGH RISK OF CVD. MOST OF STUDIES WERE AT RISK OF PERFORMANCE BIAS, WITH INADEQUATE DETAILS REPORTED IN MANY OF THEM TO JUDGE THE RISK OF SELECTION BIAS.NO STUDY REPORTED CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY, ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY OR NON-FATAL EVENTS, AND MOST STUDIES WERE SMALL AND SHORT-TERM. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL HETEROGENEITY BETWEEN STUDIES MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COMBINE STUDIES STATISTICALLY FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. YOGA WAS FOUND TO PRODUCE REDUCTIONS IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD) -2.90 MMHG, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) -4.52 TO -1.28), WHICH WAS STABLE ON SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS, TRIGLYCERIDES (MD -0.27 MMOL/L, 95% CI -0.44 TO -0.11) AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL (MD 0.08 MMOL/L, 95% CI 0.02 TO 0.14). HOWEVER, THE CONTRIBUTING STUDIES WERE SMALL, SHORT-TERM AND AT UNCLEAR OR HIGH RISK OF BIAS. THERE WAS NO CLEAR EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS FOR LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL (MD -0.09 MMOL/L, 95% CI -0.48 TO 0.30), ALTHOUGH THERE WAS MODERATE STATISTICAL HETEROGENEITY. ADVERSE EVENTS, OCCURRENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AND COSTS WERE NOT REPORTED IN ANY OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES. QUALITY OF LIFE WAS MEASURED IN THREE TRIALS BUT THE RESULTS WERE INCONCLUSIVE. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: THE LIMITED EVIDENCE COMES FROM SMALL, SHORT-TERM, LOW-QUALITY STUDIES. THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS FAVOURABLE EFFECTS ON DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, HDL CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES, AND UNCERTAIN EFFECTS ON LDL CHOLESTEROL. THESE RESULTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS EXPLORATORY AND INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION. 2014 14 2594 27 YOGA FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND METABOLIC SYNDROME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR FOR DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND PERFORM A META-ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PARAMETERS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME. METHODS MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS AND INDMED WERE SEARCHED AND SCREENED FROM THEIR INCEPTION THROUGH TO 8 MARCH 2016 FOR RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS ON YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS SEVEN TRIALS WITH A TOTAL OF 794 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. NO EFFECTS OF YOGA ON RESOLUTION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, TRIGLYCERIDES, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE WERE FOUND, BUT YOGA WAS SUPERIOR TO USUAL CARE FOR WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (STANDARDISED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) = -0.35; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) = -0.57 TO -0.13; P < 0.01) AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI = -0.51 TO -0.07; P = 0.01). HOWEVER, THESE EFFECTS WERE NOT ROBUST AGAINST SELECTION BIAS. NO INTERVENTION-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. CONCLUSION BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THIS META-ANALYSIS, NO RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE FOR OR AGAINST YOGA IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE THE PARAMETERS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME. DESPITE METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS, AND UNTIL FURTHER RESEARCH IS UNDERTAKEN, YOGA CAN BE PRELIMINARILY CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WHO ARE NOT ADHERING TO CONVENTIONAL FORMS OF EXERCISE. 2016 15 39 36 A BRIEF BUT COMPREHENSIVE LIFESTYLE EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED ON YOGA REDUCES RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES MELLITUS. OBJECTIVES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO STUDY THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A BRIEF LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION BASED ON YOGA ON SOME OF THE BIOCHEMICAL INDICATORS OF RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES MELLITUS. DESIGN: THE VARIABLES OF INTEREST WERE MEASURED AT THE BEGINNING (DAY 1) AND END (DAY 10) OF THE INTERVENTION USING A PRE-POST DESIGN. SETTING: THE STUDY IS THE RESULT OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN OUR INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC). THE IHC IS AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY WHICH CONDUCTS 8-DAY LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAMS BASED ON YOGA FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASE. A NEW COURSE BEGINS EVERY ALTERNATE WEEK OF THE YEAR. SUBJECTS: THE STUDY IS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED ON 98 SUBJECTS (67 MALE, 31 FEMALE), AGES 20-74 YEARS, WHO ATTENDED ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS. THE SUBJECTS WERE A HETEROGENEOUS GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ILLNESSES. INTERVENTION: THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, GROUP SUPPORT, INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE, LECTURES AND FILMS ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA AND THE PLACE OF YOGA IN DAILY LIFE, MEDITATION, STRESS MANAGEMENT, NUTRITION, AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ILLNESS. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE AND SERUM LIPOPROTEIN PROFILE. THESE VARIABLES WERE DETERMINED IN FASTING BLOOD SAMPLES, TAKEN ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF THE COURSE. RESULTS: FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, SERUM TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL, VERY- LDL CHOLESTEROL, THE RATIO OF TOTAL CHOLESTEROL TO HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL, AND TOTAL TRIGLYCERIDES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, AND HDL CHOLESTEROL SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, ON THE LAST DAY OF THE COURSE COMPARED TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE COURSE. THE CHANGES WERE MORE MARKED IN SUBJECTS WITH HYPERGLYCEMIA OR HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA. CONCLUSIONS: THE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SHORT LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM LEADS TO FAVORABLE METABOLIC EFFECTS WITHIN A PERIOD OF 9 DAYS. 2005 16 2850 33 YOGA, MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION AND STRESS-RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES: A META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS AND MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS ARE INCREASINGLY POPULAR; HOWEVER, THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES ON STRESS REACTIVITY ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. MANY STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SUCH PRACTICES FAIL TO INCLUDE AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP. GIVEN THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH PEOPLE ARE SELECTING SUCH INTERVENTIONS AS A FORM OF SELF-MANAGEMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, THIS REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS, WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION, COMPARED TO AN ACTIVE CONTROL, ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH COMPARED PRACTICES THAT INCLUDED YOGA ASANAS, WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION, TO AN ACTIVE CONTROL, ON STRESS-RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. THE REVIEW FOCUSED ON STUDIES THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL AND PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION. MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, PSYCINFO, SOCINDEX, PUBMED, AND SCOPUS WERE SEARCHED IN MAY 2016 AND UPDATED IN DECEMBER 2016. RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED IF THEY ASSESSED AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE VARIABILITY, MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN, INTERLEUKINS OR CORTISOL. RISK OF BIAS ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SEQUENCE GENERATION, ALLOCATION CONCEALMENT, BLINDING OF ASSESSORS, INCOMPLETE OUTCOME DATA, SELECTIVE OUTCOME REPORTING AND OTHER SOURCES OF BIAS. META-ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN USING COMPREHENSIVE META-ANALYSIS SOFTWARE VERSION 3. SENSITIVITY ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED USING 'ONE-STUDY-REMOVED' ANALYSIS. SUBGROUP ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED FOR DIFFERENT YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP TYPES, INCLUDING MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION VERSUS NON-MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION BASED INTERVENTIONS, DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, LENGTH OF INTERVENTION, AND METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS. A RANDOM-EFFECTS MODEL WAS USED IN ALL ANALYSES. RESULTS: FORTY TWO STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE META-ANALYSIS. INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDED YOGA ASANAS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED EVENING CORTISOL, WAKING CORTISOL, AMBULATORY SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, RESTING HEART RATE, HIGH FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, CHOLESTEROL AND LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN, COMPARED TO ACTIVE CONTROL. HOWEVER, THE REPORTED INTERVENTIONS WERE HETEROGENEOUS. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE YOGA ASANAS APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS. 2017 17 811 33 EFFECT OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PREHYPERTENSION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. INTRODUCTION: PREHYPERTENSION IS A PRECURSOR FOR DEVELOPING HYPERTENSION AND IS A RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY MAY HAVE A ROLE IN LOWERING THE BLOOD PRESSURES IN PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AIMS TO SYNTHESIZE THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE FOR THE SAME. METHODOLOGY. DATABASES SUCH AS PUBMED, EMBASE, SCOPUS, AND WEB OF SCIENCE WERE SEARCHED FOR RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ONLY IN THE TIME DURATION OF 2010-2021. THE MAIN OUTCOME OF INTEREST WAS SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES. ARTICLES WERE SCREENED BASED ON THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, AND 8 ARTICLES WERE RECRUITED FOR THE REVIEW. META-ANALYSIS WAS DONE FOR SUITABLE ARTICLES. REVMAN 5.4 BY COCHRANE WAS USED FOR META-ANALYSIS AND FOREST PLOT CONSTRUCTION. RISK OF BIAS WAS DETERMINED USING THE DOWNS AND BLACK CHECKLIST BY THREE INDEPENDENT AUTHORS. RESULTS: THE META-ANALYSIS OF THE ARTICLES FAVOURED YOGA INTERVENTION OVER THE CONTROL INTERVENTION. YOGA THERAPY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE SYSTOLIC PRESSURE (-0.62 STANDARD MEAN DIFFERENCE, AT IV FIXED 95% CI: -0.83, -0.41) AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE (-0.81 STANDARD MEAN DIFFERENCE, AT IV RANDOM 95% CI: -1.39, -0.22). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES STUDIED WERE HEART RATE, WEIGHT, BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND LIPID PROFILE. THE MAIN PROTOCOL OF YOGA THERAPY INCLUDED POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, AND DIFFERENT MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SECONDARY OUTCOMES WAS OBSERVED, EXCEPT FOR HDL VALUES IN LIPID PROFILE WHICH SHOWED A GRADUAL INCREASE IN YOGA GROUP IN COMPARISON WITH ALTERNATIVE THERAPY. CONCLUSION: YOGA THERAPY HAS SHOWN TO BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE IN PREHYPERTENSIVE POPULATION. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE LACKS IN PROVIDING A PROPER STRUCTURED DOSAGE OF YOGA ASANAS AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES. CONSIDERING THE EXISTING LITERATURE AND EVIDENCE, YOGA THERAPY CAN BE USED AND RECOMMENDED IN PREHYPERTENSIVE POPULATION AND CAN BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCING THE CHANCES OF DEVELOPING HYPERTENSION OR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. 2021 18 674 34 EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE SUBJECTS. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. DESIGN AND SETTING: NONRANDOMIZED, SINGLE-ARM INTERVENTIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED FROM AUGUST 2012 TO MARCH 2015 AT INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: OVERWEIGHT (BODY-MASS INDEX [BMI], 23-24.9 KG/M(2)) AND OBESE (BMI, >/=25 KG/M(2)) PERSONS (N = 279) AGED 20-60 YEARS. INTERVENTION: PRETESTED YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, INCLUDING ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, LECTURES, GROUP SUPPORT, NUTRITION AWARENESS PROGRAM, AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE. OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HRQOL, MEASURED BY USING SHORT VERSION OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL-BREF) QUESTIONNAIRE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, PULSE RATE, LIPID PROFILE, AND FASTING GLUCOSE. A SUBGROUP ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO SEX WAS ALSO PERFORMED. RESULTS: THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH IMPROVED AFTER SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAIN SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10, AND EFFICACY WAS NOTED IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBGROUPS. AFTER 10 DAYS OF INTERVENTION, THE FOLLOWING ALSO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY: BODY WEIGHT, BMI, TOTAL BODY FAT, WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND FASTING GLUCOSE. CONCLUSION: A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HRQOL IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. 2016 19 2454 21 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 20 1303 26 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