1 56 131 A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF VINTAGE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES IN REDUCING MYOPIA (BATES EYE EXERCISE THERAPY VS. TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA). BACKGROUND: HUMAN EYE CAPTURES LIGHT RAYS AS THEY COME AND FALL ON THE RETINA AND CONVERT THEM INTO AN IMAGE. HOWEVER, IN MYOPIA, LIGHT RAYS FALL IN FRONT OF RETINA, CAUSING BLURRING OF IMAGE. CORRECTION OF THIS IS GENERALLY DONE USING CORRECTING DEVICES SUCH AS CORRECTIVE GLASSES AND CONTACT LENSES. EXISTENCE OF SOME ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IS ALSO NOTICED IN LITERATURE. AIM: TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF BATES EYE EXERCISES AND TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA ON MYOPIA. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: ETHICAL CLEARANCE WAS OBTAINED FROM THE INSTITUTION, AND INFORMED CONSENT WAS TAKEN FROM PARTICIPANTS. IN THIS RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE STUDY, 24 PARTICIPANTS (48 EYES) WERE TAKEN BASED ON INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA AND WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP A AND GROUP B, WHERE BATES EYE EXERCISE THERAPY AND TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA WERE GIVEN, RESPECTIVELY, FOR 8 WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR THEIR REFRACTIVE ERRORS AND VISUAL ACUITY PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: DATA WERE ANALYZED BY SPSS VERSION 20. RESULTS OBTAINED REVEALED THAT BOTH BATES EXERCISES AND TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING REFRACTIVE ERRORS AND IN IMPROVING VISUAL ACUITY (P VALUE OF REFRACTIVE ERROR IN RIGHT EYE: 0.4250; LEFT EYE: 0.4596; P VALUE OF VISUAL ACUITY IN RIGHT EYE: 0.5691; LEFT EYE: 0.8952). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT NONPHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES SUCH AS EYE EXERCISES AND TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT ON MYOPIA. 2018 2 45 40 A CLINICAL STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA AND EYE EXERCISES (NON-PHARMOCOLOGICAL METHODS) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TIMIRA (AMMETROPIA AND PRESBYOPIA). TIMIRA IS A DISEASE THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO WIDE RANGE OF CLINICAL CONDITIONS STARTING FROM MILD BLURRING OF VISION AND HAVING POTENTIAL RISK OF PERMANENT VISION LOSS. ACCORDING TO THE INVOLVEMENT OF DHATUS (BODY ELEMENTS) THE CONDITION CAN BE GROUPED INTO TWO STAGES. THE INITIAL STAGE OR UTTANA, WHERE THE INVOLVEMENT OF DHATUS IS LIMITED TO RASA, RAKTA (BLOOD), AND MAMSA DHATU (MUSCLE TISSUE). WHEN THE DOSHAS ARE LOCALIZED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PATALA REFRACTIVE ERROR DO HAPPEN AND IN PRESBYOPIA MORE EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO MAMSA DHATU. IN THIS STUDY ONLY UTTANA STAGE OF TIMIRA WAS CONSIDERED. THE CLINICAL STUDY WAS DONE ON 66 PATIENTS OF TIMIRA IN TWO GROUPS OF FOUR SUB GROUPS EACH OF MYOPIA, HYPERMETROPIA, ASTIGMATISM, AND PRESBYOPIA. GROUP A WAS SUBJECTED TO EYE EXERCISES (BATES METHOD) AND GROUP B WAS SUBJECTED TO TRATAKA YOGA KRIYA. AFTER THE ENROLMENT OF PATIENTS FOR THIS STUDY, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED BOTH SUBJECTIVELY AND OBJECTIVELY BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER TREATMENT. THE STUDY INDICATES THAT SUBJECTIVELY THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT RESULTS IN BOTH THE GROUPS BUT OBJECTIVELY THERE IS NOT MUCH IMPROVEMENT. 2012 3 512 41 COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF SAPTAMRITA LAUHA AND YOGA THERAPY IN MYOPIA. BACKGROUND: MYOPIA IS VERY COMMON OPHTHALMIC DISEASE ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENCE. IN AYURVEDIC TEXTS, ONLY BY THE MAIN FEATURE IMPAIRMENT OF DISTANT VISION MYOPIA CAN BE CORRELATED WITH DRISHTIGATA ROGAS (2(ND) PATALGATA TIMIRA). AIM: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF SAPTAMRUTA LAUHA AND YOGA THERAPY IN MYOPIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN PRESENT STUDY, A TOTAL 60 PATIENTS WITH AGE GROUP BETWEEN 8 TO 30 YEARS WERE SELECTED RANDOMLY FROM THE OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT OF SWASTHAVRITTA AND SHALAKYATANTRA DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT AYURVEDA COLLEGE, TRIVANDRUM, AND WERE DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS. IN GROUP A, SAPTAMRITA LAUHA 250 MG TWICE DAILY WITH UNEQUAL QUANTITY OF HONEY AND GHRITA WAS ADMINISTERED WHILE IN GROUP B, PATIENTS SUBJECTED TO YOGA THERAPY (JALA NETI, NADI SHODHANA, SHITALI PRANAYAMA AND POINT TRATAK) FOR 3 MONTHS DURATION WITH 1 MONTH FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: THE RESULT OBTAINED FROM THE STUDY REVEALS THAT THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE VISUAL ACUITY AND CLINICAL REFRACTION, BUT ASSOCIATED CHANGES WERE OBSERVED AS REDUCED IN GROUP B WHEN COMPARED TO GROUP A. HOWEVER, RELIEF FROM HEADACHE WAS FOUND TO BE EQUALLY EFFECTIVE IN BOTH THE GROUPS. 2014 4 2283 35 THE USE OF INTEGRATIVE THERAPY BASED ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA IN THE TREATMENT OF A HIGH-RISK CASE OF COVID-19/SARS-COV-2 WITH MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES: A CASE REPORT. BACKGROUND: WE REPORT A HIGH-RISK CASE OF A CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 19 (COVID-19)-POSITIVE PATIENT WITH COMORBIDITIES INCLUDING DIABETES MELLITUS (DM), HYPERTENSION (HTN), HYPOTHYROIDISM AND CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD), TREATED SUCCESSFULLY USING AN INTEGRATIVE THERAPY PLAN BASED ON AYURVEDA AND YOGA, ALONG WITH GOVERNMENT-MANDATED COMPULSORY MODERN WESTERN MEDICINE (MWM) TREATMENT. RECENTLY, SOME EVIDENCE HAS BEEN EMERGING ON THE USE OF AYURVEDA FOR TREATMENT OF COVID-19. THE CLASSICAL TEXTS OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE SUCH AS CHARAKA SAMHITA AND SUSHRUTA SAMHITA CONTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF PANDEMICS OF SIMILAR PROPORTIONS AND DESCRIBE THEM AS JANAPADODDHVANSA, MEANING THE DESTRUCTION OF COMMUNITIES, ALONG WITH THEIR CAUSES AND TREATMENT. CASE PRESENTATION: THE CASE REPORTED HEREIN IS A 55-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM DELHI, INDIA, WITH CONFIRMED (TESTED) COVID-19, WHO FIRST TOOK MWM FOR 7 DAYS BEFORE SEEKING INTEGRATIVE THERAPY. THE PATIENT HAS COMORBIDITIES INCLUDING DM, HTN, HYPOTHYROIDISM AND CKD AND HAD DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS INCLUDING FEVER (WHICH WAS RESOLVED BY THE TIME INTEGRATIVE THERAPY WAS STARTED), SORE THROAT, DRY COUGH, BODY ACHES, WEAKNESS, BAD TASTE AND SMELL, AND HEAVINESS IN THE ABDOMEN. BASED ON THE PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS AND COMORBIDITIES, A TREATMENT PLAN INCLUDING AYURVEDIC MEDICINES, YOGA PROTOCOL, DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS WAS PRESCRIBED BY A REGISTERED AYURVEDA DOCTOR AND A YOGA CONSULTANT. THE PATIENT STARTED EXPERIENCING IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE SYMPTOMS WITHIN 2 DAYS AFTER STARTING THE TREATMENT; HE REPORTED APPROXIMATELY [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] RELIEF FROM THE SYMPTOMS AFTER 5 DAYS, AND ALMOST COMPLETE RELIEF WITHIN 9 DAYS. ALSO, THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS (BOTH FASTING BLOOD SUGAR [FBS] AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD SUGAR [PPBS]) EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AFTER 5 DAYS, AND DECREASED TO WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE WITHIN 12 DAYS. BESIDES RELIEF IN SYMPTOMS, THE PATIENT'S REAL-TIME REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (RT-PCR) TEST DONE ON THE 19TH DAY RETURNED NEGATIVE RESULTS. CONCLUSIONS: INTEGRATIVE THERAPY WAS FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN MITIGATING THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 IN THIS PATIENT WITH MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES. MOREOVER, A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS (NOT UNDER CONTROL WITH MODERN MEDICINE) WAS ALSO ACHIEVED. INTEGRATIVE THERAPY BASED ON THE CLASSICAL TEXTS OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA MAY OFFER A PROMISING AND SCALABLE TREATMENT OPTION FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS. A CASE SERIES OR A SUITABLY DESIGNED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS NEEDED TO ASSESS ITS EFFICACY. 2021 5 1763 22 POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT PRECIPITATED BY YOGA. YOGA HAS RECENTLY BEEN TOUTED AS A MEANS TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. HOWEVER, NO FORM OF EXERCISE IS WITHOUT ITS RISKS. A 32-YEAR-OLD CHINESE FEMALE WITH MODERATE MYOPIA COMPLAINED OF RIGHT EYE SUDDEN ONSET OF FLOATERS AND MILD BLURRING OF VISION AFTER THE HEAD-DOWN POSTURE. THE VISUAL ACUITY WAS 6/12 IN THE RIGHT EYE AND 6/9 IN THE LEFT EYE. A RIGHT EYE FUNDUS EXAMINATION SHOWED POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT, WITH A SMALL BLOOD CLOT LOCATED AT THE INFERIOR MARGIN OF THE OPTIC DISC. THE PATIENT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH RIGHT EYE VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE SECONDARY TO ACUTE POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT AND WAS MANAGED CONSERVATIVELY. ACUTE CHANGES IN POSTURE, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN AN UPRIGHT AND A HEAD-DOWN POSITION, MAY CAUSE ACUTE POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT. AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE REQUIRED TO ASSUME THIS HEAD-DOWN POSITION, MYOPIC PATIENTS SHOULD BE WARNED OF THE POSSIBLE OCULAR COMPLICATIONS OF THIS EXERCISE. 2018 6 940 37 EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM ON RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 6 MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIFTY-FOUR PATIENTS WITH CKD WERE STUDIED AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP) TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN CKD. PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED YOGA THERAPY ALONG WITH OTHER CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT MODALITIES, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP WERE TRAINED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC YOGIC ASANAS FOR AT LEAST 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR 40-60 MIN A DAY. REGULAR MONITORING OF BLOOD PRESSURE, RENAL FUNCTION, REQUIREMENT OF A NUMBER OF DIALYSIS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) INDICATORS WERE DONE. FIFTY PATIENTS (YOGA - 25; CONTROL-25) COMPLETED 6 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE LEVELS, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QOL (AS ASSESSED BY BREF QOL SCORES) WERE SEEN AFTER 6 MONTHS. IN CONTROL GROUP, RISE OF BLOOD PRESSURE, DETERIORATION OF RENAL FUNCTION, AND QOL WERE OBSERVED. POSTSTUDY COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF BLOOD PRESSURE, NONSIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BLOOD UREA AND SERUM CREATININE, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN OF QOL IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. FOR SUBJECTS IN YOGA GROUP, THE NEED FOR DIALYSIS WAS LESS WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP ALTHOUGH THIS DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. EXCEPT FOR INABILITY OF SOME PATIENTS TO PERFORM CERTAIN YOGIC ASANAS NO ADVERSE EFFECT WAS FOUND IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: SIX MONTHS YOGA PROGRAM IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY IN IMPROVING RENAL FUNCTIONS AND QOL OF CKD PATIENTS. 2017 7 848 33 EFFECT OF YOGA ON SELF-RATED VISUAL DISCOMFORT IN COMPUTER USERS. BACKGROUND: 'DRY EYE' APPEARS TO BE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SYMPTOMS OF COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME. REGULAR BREAKS AND THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TEARS OR CERTAIN EYE DROPS ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS TO REDUCE VISUAL DISCOMFORT. A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE VISUAL STRAIN IN PERSONS WITH PROGRESSIVE MYOPIA. THE PRESENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS PLANNED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES ON SELF-RATED SYMPTOMS OF VISUAL DISCOMFORT IN PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER USERS IN BANGALORE. METHODS: TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER USERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS, YOGA (YG, N = 146) AND WAIT LIST CONTROL (WL, N = 145). BOTH GROUPS WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER SIXTY DAYS FOR SELF-RATED VISUAL DISCOMFORT USING A STANDARD QUESTIONNAIRE. DURING THESE 60 DAYS THE YG GROUP PRACTICED AN HOUR OF YOGA DAILY FOR FIVE DAYS IN A WEEK AND THE WL GROUP DID THEIR USUAL RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ALSO FOR AN HOUR DAILY FOR THE SAME DURATION. AT 60 DAYS THERE WERE 62 IN THE YG GROUP AND 55 IN THE WL GROUP. RESULTS: WHILE THE SCORES FOR VISUAL DISCOMFORT OF BOTH GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE AT BASELINE, AFTER 60 DAYS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED SCORE IN THE YG GROUP, WHEREAS THE WL GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED SCORES. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA PRACTICE APPEARED TO REDUCE VISUAL DISCOMFORT, WHILE THE GROUP WHO HAD NO YOGA INTERVENTION (WL) SHOWED AN INCREASE IN DISCOMFORT AT THE END OF SIXTY DAYS. 2006 8 1929 27 ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGEMENT OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION. TWENTY FIVE PATIENTS OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION WERE STUDIED. OF THESE, 20 PATIENTS WERE NOT GIVEN ANY ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUG TREATMENT (GROUP A); OTHER 5 HAD TO BE PUT ON ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS BEFORE INCLUDING THEM IN THE STUDY (GROUP B). THESE PATIENTS WERE DEMONSTRATED "SHAVASANA" AND TRAINED TO PERFORM IT CORRECTLY. SHAVASANA THERAPY WAS CONTINUED FOR SIX MONTHS. THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FALL IN BOTH MEAN SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE OF BOTH GROUPS. FURTHER, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DOSES OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS, BEING GIVEN TO PATIENTS OF GROUP B. IN 65% PATIENTS OF GROUP A, BLOOD PRESSURE COULD BE CONTROLLED WITH SHAVASANA ONLY AND NO DRUG WAS NEEDED IN THEM AT ALL. BLOOD PRESSURE ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY TO PRE-SHAVASANA LEVELS IN PATIENTS WHO LEFT PRACTISING YOGA. THUS, WITH USE OF YOGA (SHAVASANA) IN THERAPY OF HYPERTENSION, REQUIREMENT OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AND IN SOME CASES MAY BE TOTALLY DISPENSED WITH AND IT MAY BE AN USEFUL ADJUNCT IN TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION. 1984 9 1453 24 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 10 802 36 EFFECT OF YOGA OCULAR EXERCISES ON EYE FATIGUE. BACKGROUND: COMFORTABLE WORKING AT NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE TASKS DEPEND ON THE EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS COORDINATION OF ACCOMMODATION AND VERGENCE SYSTEMS. AT PRESENT, THE NEED FOR NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE VISUAL TASKS HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLY INCREASED, REQUIRING PROLONGED COMPUTER- AND GAZETTE-RELATED WORKS. IT DEMANDS EXCESSIVE WORKING OF THE EXTRAOCULAR AND CILIARY MUSCLES. IT MAY CAUSE EYE FATIGUE AND OTHER ASSOCIATED ASTHENOPIC SYMPTOMS. GLOBALLY, EYE FATIGUE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED CONDITIONS IN NONPRESBYOPIC POPULATION WITH ASTHENOPIC SYMPTOMS. IT IS NECESSARY TO GET RELIEF FROM EYE FATIGUE FOR BETTER NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE TASKS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-TWO UNDERGRADUATE OPTOMETRY STUDENTS WHO WERE SYMPTOMATIC BASED ON A VALIDATED EYE FATIGUE QUESTIONNAIRE WERE INCLUDED AFTER A BASELINE COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMINATION. BASED ON THE EYE FATIGUE SYMPTOMS SCORE, THEY WERE EQUALLY ASSIGNED TO A CONTROL GROUP AND AN EXERCISE GROUP WITH SIXTEEN PARTICIPANTS IN EACH. THE EXERCISE GROUP PERFORMED YOGA OCULAR EXERCISES FOR UP TO 6 WEEKS AFTER WHICH THE EYE FATIGUE SYMPTOMS WERE REASSESSED IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: IN THE EXERCISE GROUP, THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN EYE FATIGUE SCORES (P = 0.003), WHEREAS THE EYE FATIGUE SCORES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREMENT IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER 6 WEEKS (P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA OCULAR EXERCISES REDUCE THE EYE FATIGUE SYMPTOMS SCORE BY INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLES. HENCE, IT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS A THERAPEUTIC AND NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING THE EYE FATIGUE AND ASSOCIATED ASTHENOPIC SYMPTOMS. 2020 11 689 37 EFFECT OF AYURVEDA INTERVENTION, LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA IN PREDIABETIC AND TYPE 2 DIABETES UNDER THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CANCER, DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND STROKE (NPCDCS)-AYUSH INTEGRATION PROJECT. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES IS A LIFESTYLE-RELATED DISORDER THAT AFFECTS AROUND 422 MILLION INDIVIDUALS IN INDIA. INTEGRATION OF AYUSH (AYURVEDA) WITH THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CANCER, DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND STROKE (NPCDCS) WAS CONCEIVED ON PILOT BASIS AT GAYA, BIHAR, TO PROVIDE INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PATIENTS AND TO MANAGE THE BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN INDIA. OBJECTIVES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECT OF AYURVEDA INTERVENTION, LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES UNDER NPCDCS-AYUSH INTEGRATION PROJECT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MULTI-CENTRIC, OPEN-LABELED, PROSPECTIVE, COMPARATIVE CLINICAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT 17 COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND 1 DISTRICT HOSPITAL. POPULATION OVER 30 YEARS OF AGE WAS SCREENED AND PREDIABETIC OR TYPE 2 DIABETIC INDIVIDUALS WERE ENROLLED IN TWO COHORTS, I.E., PRE-DIABETIC (COHORT A) AND TYPE 2 DIABETIC (COHORT B). EACH COHORT WAS FURTHER DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP A1 WAS ADVISED FOR LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA AND GROUP A2 WAS GIVEN AYURVEDA MEDICATION IN ADDITION TO LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA. SIMILARLY, GROUP B1 WAS ADVISED FOR LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA ALONG WITH ALLOPATHIC MEDICATION AND GROUP B2 WAS GIVEN AYURVEDA MEDICATION, I.E., MAMAJJAKA, AMALAKI AND GUDUCHI POWDER IN ADDITION TO LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGA ALONG WITH ALLOPATHIC MEDICATION. TREATMENT WAS GIVEN FOR 6 MONTHS. DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH PAIRED T-TEST. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION WAS OBSERVED IN FASTING BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IN GROUPS A2 AND B2 (P = 0.001) AND ALSO IN THE POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IN GROUPS A2 AND B2 (P = 0.001). FURTHER, IMPROVEMENT IN SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS SUCH AS POLYURIA, POLYDIPSIA, POLYPHAGIA, BLURRED VISION AND WEAKNESS WAS FOUND IN ALL THE GROUPS, WHILE NON-HEALING ULCER DOES NOT SHOW ANY IMPROVEMENT. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY REVEALS THAT AYURVEDA INTERVENTION, I.E., MAMAJJAKA CHURNA (1 G), AMALAKI CHURNA (3 G) AND GUDUCHI CHURNA (3 G) TWO TIMES A DAY EFFECTIVELY CONTROLS BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IN PRE-DIABETIC AND TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS AND IMPROVES THE DISEASE MANAGEMENT WITH LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND YOGASANA AS WELL AS WITH ALLOPATHIC TREATMENT. 2019 12 800 27 EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SEE ANY EFFECT ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES PATIENTS AFTER YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE. THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 150 FEMALES WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES, 28.08 +/- 7.43 YEARS OF MEAN AGE, REFERRED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CSMMU, UP, LUCKNOW. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY IN TO TWO GROUPS' INTERVENTION AND IN CONTROL GROUPS -SEVENTY FIVE (75) IN EACH GROUP. OUT OF THESE, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX (126) COMPLETED THE STUDY PROTOCOL. THE YOGIC INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 35-40 MINUTES/DAY, FIVE DAYS IN A WEEK TILL SIX MONTHS. AN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTING WAS DONE IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT ZERO TIME AND AFTER SIX MONTHS. A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT WAS OBSERVED WHEN YOGA THERAPY WAS USED AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLOOD PRESSURE, POSTURAL HYPOTENSION AND SUSTAINED HAND GRIP, HEART RATE EXPIRATION INSPIRATION RATIO AND 30:15 BEAT RATIOS OF THE SUBJECTS AFTER YOGIC PRACTICE. 2012 13 1401 33 IMPACT OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE OF ASTHMATICS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: ASTHMA IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISORDER OF THE AIRWAYS. THE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION CAUSES AN ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS THAT LEADS TO RECURRENT EPISODES OF WHEEZING, BREATHLESSNESS, CHEST TIGHTNESS, AND COUGHING AT NIGHT OR IN THE EARLY MORNING. MOST OF THE STUDIES HAVE REPORTED, AS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND DECREASE IN MEDICATION USE, BUT NONE OF THE STUDIES HAS ATTEMPTED TO SHOW THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE OF ASTHMATICS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, 276 PATIENTS OF MILD TO MODERATE ASTHMA (FEV 1> 60%) AGED BETWEEN 12 TO 60 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PULMONARY MEDICINE, KING GEORGE'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, U.P., LUCKNOW, INDIA. THEY WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP (WITH STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT AND YOGIC INTERVENTION) AND CONTROL GROUP AS STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT (WITHOUT YOGIC INTERVENTION). AT COMPLETION OF 6 MONTHS OF THE STUDY PERIOD, 35 SUBJECTS WERE DROPPED OUT, SO OUT OF 276 SUBJECTS, ONLY 241 SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE WHOLE STUDY (121 SUBJECTS FROM YOGA GROUP AND 120 SUBJECTS FROM CONTROL GROUP). BIOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT WAS CARRIED OUT AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS OF THE STUDY PERIOD. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOUND IN THE PROPORTION OF HEMOGLOBIN AND ANTIOXIDANT SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASE WAS FOUND IN TOTAL LEUKOCYTE COUNT (TLC) AND DIFFERENTIAL LEUKOCYTES COUNT IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOUND IN TLC, POLYMORPHS, AND MONOCYTES IN BETWEEN GROUP COMPARISON. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA GROUP GOT SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN BIOCHEMICAL VARIABLES THAN CONTROL GROUP. RESULT SHOWS THAT YOGA CAN BE PRACTICED AS ADJUVANT THERAPY WITH STANDARD INHALATION THERAPY FOR BETTER OUTCOME OF ASTHMA. 2014 14 959 27 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 15 2290 32 THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION WITH REFERENCE TO GST GENE POLYMORPHISM. BACKGROUND: HYPERTENSION, A CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITION OF INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE, IS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC RISK FACTORS ARE KNOWN TO PREDISPOSE TO HYPERTENSION. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE ASSOCIATION OF GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE (GST) GENE POLYMORPHISM WITH OXIDATIVE STRESS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS AND THE POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY (60) HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS, BETWEEN 30 AND 60 YEARS OF AGE, WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 30 EACH. THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUBJECTED TO 50-60 MINUTES OF YOGIC PRACTICES DAILY FOR 42 DAYS, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP INCLUDED THE REMAINING 30 AGE- AND SEX-MATCHED HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS. GST GENE POLYMORPHISM WAS ANALYZED USING MULTIPLE ALLELE SPECIFIC POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS WERE ASSESSED BIOCHEMICALLY. RESULTS: ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT THOUGH MODEST REDUCTION (P<0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. MALONDIALDEHYDE WAS OBSERVED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOW (P<0.05), WHILE ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY IN THE FORM OF GST SHOWED AN INCREASING TREND AND FERRIC-REDUCING ABILITY OF PLASMA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P<0.05) IN THE SUBJECTS WHO PRACTICED YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: IN CONCLUSION, YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE AS WELL AS THE LEVELS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. 2013 16 781 26 EFFECT OF YOGA ASANAS ON NERVE CONDUCTION IN TYPE 2 DIABETES. TWENTY TYPE 2 DIABETIC SUBJECTS BETWEEN THE AGE GROUP OF 30-60 YEARS WERE STUDIED TO SEE THE EFFECT OF 40 DAYS OF YOGA ASANAS ON THE NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY. THE DURATION OF DIABETES RANGED FROM 0-10 YEARS. SUBJECT SUFFERING FROM CARDIAC, RENAL AND PROLIFERATIVE RETINAL COMPLICATIONS WERE EXCLUDED FROM THE STUDY YOGA ASANAS INCLUDED SURYANAMSKAR. TADASAN, KONASAN, PADMASAN PRANAYAM, PASCHIMOTTANSAN ARDHMATSYENDRASAN, SHAVASAN, PAVANMUKTHASAN, SARPASAN AND SHAVASAN. SUBJECTS WERE CALLED TO THE CARDIO-RESPIRATORY LABORATORY IN THE MORNING TIME AND WERE GIVEN TRAINING BY THE YOGA EXPERT. THE YOGA EXERCISES WERE PERFORMED FOR 30-40 MINUTES EVERY DAY FOR 40 DAYS IN THE ABOVE SEQUENCE. THE SUBJECTS WERE PRESCRIBED CERTAIN MEDICINES AND DIET. THE BASAL BLOOD GLUCOSE, NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY OF THE MEDIAN NERVE WAS MEASURED AND REPEATED AFTER 40 DAYS OF YOGIC REGIME. ANOTHER GROUP OF 20 TYPE 2 DIABETES SUBJECTS OF COMPARABLE AGE AND SEVERITY, CALLED THE CONTROL GROUP, WERE KEPT ON PRESCRIBED MEDICATION AND LIGHT PHYSICAL EXERCISES LIKE WALKING. THEIR BASAL & POST 40 DAYS PARAMETERS WERE RECORDED FOR COMPARISON. RIGHT HAND AND LEFT HAND MEDIAN NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY INCREASED FROM 52.81 +/- 1.1 M/SEC TO 53.87 +/- 1.1 M/SEC AND 52.46 +/- 1.0 TO 54.75 +/- 1/1 M/SEC RESPECTIVELY. CONTROL GROUP NERVE FUNCTION PARAMETERS DETERIORATED OVER THE PERIOD OF STUDY, INDICATING THAT DIABETES IS A SLOWLY PROGRESSIVE DISEASE INVOLVING THE NERVES. YOGA ASANAS HAVE A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON GLYCAEMIC CONTROL AND IMPROVE NERVE FUNCTION IN MILD TO MODERATE TYPE 2 DIABETES WITH SUB-CLINICAL NEUROPATHY. 2002 17 867 42 EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: LUNG FUNCTIONS ARE FOUND TO BE IMPAIRED IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD), CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY. DIFFUSION CAPACITY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENS AS THE SEVERITY OF CAD INCREASES DUE TO REDUCTION IN LUNG TISSUE PARTICIPATING IN GAS EXCHANGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGIC POSTURES MAY PLAY AN IMPRESSIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING CARDIO-RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY AND FACILITATING GAS DIFFUSION AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS PARTICULARLY DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 80 STABLE CAD PATIENTS BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE OF BOTH SEXES WERE SELECTED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 40 EACH. GROUP I CAD PATIENTS WERE GIVEN YOGA REGIMEN FOR 3 MONTHS WHICH CONSISTED OF YOGIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES, DIETARY MODIFICATION, AND HOLISTIC TEACHING ALONG WITH THEIR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE WHILE GROUP II CAD PATIENTS WERE PUT ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY WERE RECORDED THRICE IN BOTH THE GROUPS: 0 DAY AS BASELINE, 22(ND) DAY AND ON 90(TH) DAY BY USING COMPUTERIZED MS MEDISOFT CARDIO-RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENT, HYP'AIR COMPACT MODEL OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY TESTING MACHINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY P K MORGAN, INDIA. THE RECORDED PARAMETERS WERE STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA FOLLOWED BY TUKEY'S TEST IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS WERE ALSO COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION, AND DIFFUSION FACTOR/ TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA REGIMEN IN GROUP I. FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1(ST) SEC (FEV1), AND FEV1 % ALSO SHOWED A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HR, SBP AND DBP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP-I PATIENTS WHO FOLLOWED YOGA REGIMEN. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA REGIMEN WAS FOUND TO IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS BESIDES IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLIMENTARY OR ADJUNCT THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE FOR THEIR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION. 2015 18 679 27 EFFECT OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND BLOOD LIPID LEVELS IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY ON GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND BLOOD LIPID VALUES IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS). METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, INTERVENTIONAL CONTROLLED TRIAL RECRUITED 90 ADOLESCENTS AGED BETWEEN 15 AND 18 YEARS WHO MET THE ROTTERDAM CRITERIA FOR PCOS. A YOGA GROUP PRACTICED SURYANAMASKARA, ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION 1 HOUR PER DAY EACH DAY FOR 12 WEEKS WHILE ANOTHER GROUP PRACTICED CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES. THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE SCORE CHANGES BETWEEN THE 2 GROUPS. RESULTS: THE CHANGES IN FASTING INSULIN, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN THE 2 GROUPS (P<0.05). EXCEPT FOR HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, THE CHANGES IN BLOOD LIPID VALUES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (P<0.05). THE CHANGES IN BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, AND WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO, HOWEVER, WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN IMPROVING GLUCOSE, LIPID, AND INSULIN VALUES, INCLUDING INSULIN RESISTANCE VALUES, IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH PCOS INDEPENDENT OF ANTHROPOMETRIC CHANGES. CENTRAL TRIAL REGISTRY OF INDIA NO.: REFCTRI-2008 000291. 2012 19 48 23 A COMBINATION OF FOCUSING AND DEFOCUSING THROUGH YOGA REDUCES OPTICAL ILLUSION MORE THAN FOCUSING ALONE. THE DEGREE OF OPTICAL ILLUSION WAS ASSESSED USING STANDARD MULLER-LYER LINES IN TWO GROUPS (YOGA AND CONTROL) OF THIRTY SUBJECTS EACH. ALL SUBJECTS WERE BETWEEN EIGHTEEN AND FORTY TWO YEARS OF AGE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE READING AT WHICH THE LINES WERE ACTUALLY EQUAL AND THE READING AT WHICH THE SUBJECT FELT THEM TO BE EQUAL, WAS NOTED AS THE DEGREE OF ILLUSION ("DI"). EACH SUBJECT WAS ASSESSED AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A MONTH. DURING THE MONTH THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED TRAINING IN YOGA, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP CARRIED ON WITH THEIR USUAL ROUTINE. AT THE END OF THE MONTH THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT (TWO FACTOR ANOVA, TUKEY TEST, P < .001) DECREASE IN THE "DI" (86%), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP SHOWED NO CHANGE. THE IMPROVEMENT FOLLOWING YOGA COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE COMBINATION OF FOCUSING AND DEFOCUSING INVOLVED IN YOGA PRACTICE, AS THESE FACTORS ARE KNOWN TO INFLUENCE THE "DI". PREVIOUS RESULTS WHICH MENTIONED A 79% DECREASE IN "DI" WITH FOCUSING ALONE, PROVIDED A COMPARISON. 1997 20 138 22 A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ROLE OF YOGA ASANAS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS IN NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS. NINETEEN SUBJECTS OF NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS (NIDDM) BETWEEN THE AGE GROUP OF 30-60 YRS WERE STUDIED TO SEE THE EFFECT OF SPECIFIC YOGA ASANAS ON FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE (FBG, PPG), SERUM MALONDIALDEHYDE (MDA) AND GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN (HBA(1)) IN ADDITION TO DRUG TREATMENT AND DIET CONTROL. THE DURATION OF DIABETES RANGED FROM 1-10 YEARS. PATIENTS WITH RENAL, CARDIAC AND PROLIFERATIVE RETINAL DISEASES WERE EXCLUDED FROM THE STUDY. THE SAME PATIENTS SERVED AS THEIR OWN CONTROL. SUBJECTS WERE CALLED IN THE MORNING TO THE CARDIO-RESPIRATORY LABORATORY AND WERE GIVEN TRAINING BY A YOGA EXPERT. YOGA ASANAS INCLUDED SURYANAMSKAR, TADASAN, TRIKONASAN, PADMASAN, PRANAYAM, PASCHIMOTTANASAN, ARDHMATSYENDRASAN, PAVANMUKTHASAN, SARPASAN AND SHAVASAN. THE ASANAS WERE DONE EVERY DAY FOR 40 DAYS FOR 30-40 MIN. FBG, PPG, SERUM MDA AND HBA(1) WERE ESTIMATED BEFORE AND AFTER 40 DAYS OF YOGA ASANAS REGIMEN. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION WAS SEEN IN FBG FROM 220 MG/DL TO 162 MG/DL, PPG FROM 311 MG/DL TO 255 MG/DL, MDA FROM 6 NMOL/L TO 3 NMOL/L AND HBA(1), FROM 8.8% TO 6.4%. SUBJECTS FELT BETTER AND WERE RELIEVED OF THEIR STRESSES AND HAD AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR DAY TO DAY PERFORMANCE. THE DECREASE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.0001 FOR FBG AND PPG, P<0.001 FOR MDA AND FOR HBA(1)). 2001