1 1600 119 MEDIYOGA AS A PART OF A SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION - A RANDOMISED STUDY. BACKGROUND: PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPAIRED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE AND HYPERTENSION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF MEDIYOGA, IN RESPECT OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, AS WELL AS N-TERMINAL PRO B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE, AMONG PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, COMPARED WITH STANDARD THERAPY OR RELAXATION. METHODS: PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, N=132, WERE STRATIFIED FOR GENDER AND RANDOMISED TO MEDIYOGA, A RELAXATION GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP, 44 PATIENTS PER GROUP WITH A 12-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE AND N-TERMINAL PRO B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: AFTER 12 WEEKS, THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. THERE WERE IMPROVEMENTS IN SHORT-FORM HEALTH SURVEY BODILY PAIN, GENERAL HEALTH, SOCIAL FUNCTION, MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL COMPONENT SUMMARY SCORES WITHIN THE MEDIYOGA GROUP (P=0.014, P=0.037, P=0.029, P=0.030, P=0.019, RESPECTIVELY). NO CHANGE WAS SEEN IN THE RELAXATION AND CONTROL GROUPS. SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED IN THE MEDIYOGA GROUP (134+/-18 TO 127+/-13) COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (126+/-17 TO 127+/-15, P=0.041); NO DIFFERENCE COMPARED WITH THE RELAXATION GROUP (131+/-17 TO 125+/-12). DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED IN THE MEDIYOGA GROUP (79+/-9 TO 74 +/-9) COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (76+/-9 TO 79+/-8, P=0.005); NO DIFFERENCE COMPARED WITH THE RELAXATION GROUP (76+/-9 TO 77+/-8). THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN HEART RATE AND N-TERMINAL PRO B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE BETWEEN THE GROUPS AFTER 12 WEEKS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDIYOGA IMPROVES HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND DECREASES BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. MEDIYOGA MAY BE USED AS A PART OF A SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. 2020 2 1721 33 PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF MEDIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION-AN INTERVIEW STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WE INVESTIGATED THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA FORM, MEDIYOGA, WHICH IS EVOLVED FROM KUNDALINIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (PAF). DESIGN AND SETTING: AN INDUCTIVE EXPLORATORY DESIGN WAS CHOSEN WITH INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH 12 PARTICIPANTS (7 MEN AND 5 WOMEN, AVERAGE AGE 63.5) AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, SWEDEN. INFORMED CONSENT WAS OBTAINED FROM ALL PARTICIPANTS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS WITH AN INDUCTIVE METHOD AND A MANIFEST APPROACH. RESULTS: THREE CATEGORIES WERE FOUND IN THE ANALYSIS. IN THE CATEGORY "A TIME FOR A SENSE OF EXISTENCE AND PRESENCE", THE PATIENTS DESCRIBED AN INCREASED THOUGHTFULNESS AND EXPERIENCES OF GAINING ACCESS TO AN INNER SELF. THE CATEGORY "A WAY OF GAINING WELL-BEING AND INCREASED CONSCIOUSNESS" DESCRIBES PATIENTS` FEELINGS OF RELAXATION AND FEELING OF COMFORT, WITH COMPONENTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. FURTHERMORE, "ACCESS TO A TOOL TO GAIN WILLPOWER AND RELIEVE SYMPTOMS" DESCRIBES THE PERCEPTIONS FROM PATIENTS TO OBTAINED ACCESS TO A TOOL FOR HANDLING THE EMOTIONS, SUCH AS FEAR AND ANXIETY, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS THAT THEY COULD STRUGGLING WITH BETWEEN, AND DURING, THEIR EPISODES OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED BY THE YOGA GROUP, DURING THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH PAF DESCRIBED MEDIYOGA AS AN ACCESSIBLE TOOL TO MANAGE EMOTIONS AND SYMPTOMS RELATED TO EPISODES OF AF. MEDIYOGA MAY ALSO ASSIST IN ENHANCING BODY AWARENESS, WHEREBY PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENTS ARE INTEGRATED. MEDIYOGA MAY STRENGTHEN SELF-MANAGEMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAF. 2018 3 1039 58 EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION OFTEN HAVE AN IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). PRACTISING YOGA MAY DECREASE STRESS AND HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER YOGA CAN IMPROVE QOL AND DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (PAF). METHODS: IN THIS PILOT STUDY, 80 PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH PAF WERE RANDOMIZED TO STANDARD TREATMENT (CONTROL GROUP, N=40) OR STANDARD TREATMENT IN COMBINATION WITH YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N=40) DURING A 12-WEEK PERIOD. QOL, BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY (12 (+2) WEEKS). EUROQOL-5D (EQ-5D) VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) AND THE TWO DIMENSIONS IN SHORT-FORM HEALTH SURVEY (SF-36) WERE USED TO EVALUATE QOL. RESULTS: AT BASELINE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN QOL BETWEEN THE GROUPS IN EQ-5D VAS- SCALE ( P=0.02) AND SF-36 MENTAL HEALTH SCORE ( P<0.001) IN WHICH THE CONTROL GROUP HAD HIGHER SCORES. AT THE END OF THE STUDY, THE YOGA GROUP AVERAGED HIGHER SF-36 MENTAL HEALTH SCORES. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS ( P=0.016), BUT NO DIFFERENCES IN EQ-5D VAS- SCALE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH SCORE WAS SEEN BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. AT THE END OF THE STUDY, THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEART RATE ( P=0.024) AND SYSTOLIC ( P=0.033) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE ( P<0.001) COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WITH LIGHT MOVEMENTS AND DEEP BREATHING MAY LEAD TO IMPROVED QOL, LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE AND LOWER HEART RATE IN PATIENTS WITH PAF COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP. YOGA COULD BE A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT METHOD TO STANDARD THERAPY. 2017 4 807 44 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ARRHYTHMIA BURDEN, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: THE YOGA MY HEART STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) BURDEN, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY SCORES. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS KNOWN TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN REDUCING AF BURDEN IS UNKNOWN. METHODS: THIS SINGLE-CENTER, PRE-POST STUDY ENROLLED PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL AF WITH AN INITIAL 3-MONTH NONINTERVENTIONAL OBSERVATION PERIOD FOLLOWED BY TWICE-WEEKLY 60-MIN YOGA TRAINING FOR NEXT 3 MONTHS. AF EPISODES DURING THE CONTROL AND STUDY PERIODS AS WELL AS SF-36, ZUNG SELF-RATED ANXIETY, AND ZUNG SELF-RATED DEPRESSION SCORES AT BASELINE, BEFORE, AND AFTER THE STUDY PHASE WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: YOGA TRAINING REDUCED SYMPTOMATIC AF EPISODES (3.8 +/- 3 VS. 2.1 +/- 2.6, P < 0.001), SYMPTOMATIC NON-AF EPISODES (2.9 +/- 3.4 VS. 1.4 +/- 2.0; P < 0.001), ASYMPTOMATIC AF EPISODES (0.12 +/- 0.44 VS. 0.04 +/- 0.20; P < 0.001), AND DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY (P < 0.001), AND IMPROVED THE QOL PARAMETERS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, GENERAL HEALTH, VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND MENTAL HEALTH DOMAINS ON SF-36 (P = 0.017, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.019, AND P < 0.001, RESPECTIVELY). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN HEART RATE, AND SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL AF, YOGA IMPROVES SYMPTOMS, ARRHYTHMIA BURDEN, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES, AND SEVERAL DOMAINS OF QOL. 2013 5 2228 20 THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A REVIEW OF THE YOGA MY HEART STUDY. ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IS A COMMON ARRHYTHMIA AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE. IT IS A CONDUCTION DISORDER THAT CAUSES THE HEART TO BEAT IRREGULARLY AND RAPIDLY. THERE ARE A FEW MEDICAL APPROACHES TO MANAGE THIS COSTLY HEALTH CARE BURDEN: ANTIARRHYTHMICS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL SINUS RHYTHM, BETA BLOCKERS TO ACHIEVE RATE CONTROL WHILE ALLOWING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TO PERSIST, AND ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGIC INTERVENTION FOR RATE AND RHYTHM CONTROL. THESE TREATMENTS CAN BE COSTLY AND ARE NOT WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. YOGA, AN INTERVENTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, HAS SHOWN SOME PROMISE IN COMBATING THIS WIDESPREAD HEART DISORDER. 2015 6 205 29 A REVIEW ON ROLE OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING VARIOUS RISK FACTORS, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BURDEN THAT IS RELATED TO ARRHYTHMIA. HOWEVER, THIS IS THE FIRST-EVER SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PERFORMED TO REPORT THE ROLE OF YOGA IN ARRHYTHMIA. WE HAVE PERFORMED A LITERATURE SEARCH USING COCHRANE LIBRARY, MEDLINE/PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE CORE COLLECTION, AND INDMED ELECTRONIC DATABASES UP TO 3, JANUARY 2018. OF 240 ARTICLES, 6 POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE ARTICLES WERE IDENTIFIED AND INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. RESULTS SHOWED THAT YOGA COULD BE CONSIDERED AN EFFICIENT ADJUVANT IN REDUCING ARRHYTHMIA (PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, VENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIA, AND PALPITATION) RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS; BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SCORES; AND IN IMPROVING HEALTH-RELATED QOL OF ARRHYTHMIA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LACK OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND A CLEAR MECHANISM BEHIND THE EFFECT OF YOGA; STUDIES HAD RELATIVELY A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND DIFFERENT YOGA PROTOCOLS. 2021 7 655 14 EEG PAROXYSMAL GAMMA WAVES DURING BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA: A YOGA BREATHING TECHNIQUE. HERE WE REPORT THAT A SPECIFIC FORM OF YOGA CAN GENERATE CONTROLLED HIGH-FREQUENCY GAMMA WAVES. FOR THE FIRST TIME, PAROXYSMAL GAMMA WAVES (PGW) WERE OBSERVED IN EIGHT SUBJECTS PRACTICING A YOGA TECHNIQUE OF BREATHING CONTROL CALLED BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA (BHPR). TO OBTAIN NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE NATURE OF THE EEG DURING BHPR, WE ANALYZED EEG SIGNALS USING TIME-FREQUENCY REPRESENTATIONS (TFR), INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS (ICA), AND EEG TOMOGRAPHY (LORETA). WE FOUND THAT THE PGW CONSISTS OF HIGH-FREQUENCY BIPHASIC RIPPLES. THIS UNUSUAL ACTIVITY IS DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO PREVIOUS REPORTS ON YOGA AND MEDITATION. IT IS CONCLUDED THIS EEG ACTIVITY IS MOST PROBABLY NON-EPILEPTIC, AND THAT APPLYING THE SAME METHODOLOGY TO OTHER MEDITATION RECORDINGS MIGHT YIELD AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEUROCORRELATES OF MEDITATION. 2009 8 185 39 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON CARDIAC FUNCTION AND N TERMINAL PRO BNP IN HEART FAILURE. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE WHETHER YOGA TRAINING IN ADDITION TO STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY CAN IMPROVE CARDIAC FUNCTION AND REDUCE N TERMINAL PRO B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE (NT PRO BNP) IN HEART FAILURE (HF). METHODS: 130 PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: CONTROL GROUP (CG) (N = 65), YOGA GROUP (YG). IN YG, 44 PATIENTS AND IN CG, 48 PATIENTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. CARDIAC FUNCTION USING LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF), MYOCARDIAL PERFORMANCE INDEX (TEI INDEX), AND NT PRO BNP, A BIOMARKER OF HF, WAS ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. RESULT: IMPROVEMENT IN LVEF, TEI INDEX, AND NT PRO BNP WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN BOTH THE GROUPS. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE CHANGES IN BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS WERE IN PERCENTAGE, LVEF INCREASED 36.88% IN THE YG AND 16.9% IN THE CG, TEI INDEX WAS REDUCED 27.87% IN THE YG AND 2.79% IN THE CG, NT PRO BNP WAS REDUCED 63.75% IN THE YG AND 10.77% IN THE CG. THE BETWEEN GROUP COMPARISONS FROM PRE TO POST 12 WEEKS WERE SIGNIFICANT FOR YG IMPROVEMENTS (LVEF, P < 0.01, TEI INDEX, P < 0.01, NT PRO BNP, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE ADDITION OF YOGA THERAPY TO STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY FOR HF PATIENTS HAS A MARKEDLY BETTER EFFECT ON CARDIAC FUNCTION AND REDUCED MYOCARDIAL STRESS MEASURED USING NT PRO BNP IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE HF. 2014 9 1406 33 IMPACT OF YOGA ON HAEMODYNAMIC FUNCTION IN HEALTHY MEDICAL STUDENTS. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IN BOTH HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE WITH DIAGNOSED HEART DISEASE. THIS STUDY COMPARES CHANGES IN SOME CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN HEALTHY MEDICAL STUDENTS. METHODS: SIXTY-FOUR HEALTHY MEDICAL STUDENTS (57 FEMALES AND 7 MALES), MEAN AGE 21.3 +/- 2.6 YEARS, ATTENDING A SPECIAL STUDY MODULE 'ROLE OF DHYANA YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT', PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY. SYSTOLIC (SYS) AND DIASTOLIC (DIA) BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE (HR), STROKE VOLUME (SV), CARDIAC OUTPUT (CO), TOTAL PERIPHERAL RESISTANCE (TPR), INTERBEAT INTERVAL (IBI), LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION TIME (LVET), ARTERIAL COMPLIANCE (CWK) AND ASCENDING AORTA IMPEDANCE (ZAO) WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER SIX WEEKS OF YOGIC EXERCISES. VARIOUS EXERCISES INCLUDED ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION). DATA WERE ANALYZED USING STATA FOR WINDOWS. RESULTS: TWO-TAILED PAIRED T-TEST REVEALED THAT PRACTICE OFYOGA CAUSED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HR (P < 0.05), SV (P < 0.01), CO (P < 0.001) AND CWK (P < 0.01) AND DECREASES IN TPR (P < 0.001), IBI (P < 0.05) AND ZAO (P < 0.001) AFTER PRACTISING YOGA FOR 6 WEEKS AS COMPARED TO BEFORE YOGA PRACTICE. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE, HOWEVER OBSERVED IN SYS, DIA, MEAN ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE (MAP) AND LVET CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE OF YOGA EVEN FOR A SHORT PERIOD SHOWED ABILITY TO IMPROVE MOST OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA FOR A LONGER PERIOD MAY FURTHER IMPROVE THESE FUNCTIONS AND POSSIBLY RESULT IN IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF THEIR DAILY STRESS. 2011 10 814 28 EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YEARS. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION IN SUBJECTS ABOVE 40 YRS OF AGE. PULSE RATE, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND VALSALVA RATIO WERE STUDIED IN 50 CONTROL SUBJECTS (NOT DOING ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE) AND 50 STUDY SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN PRACTICING YOGA FOR 5 YEARS. FROM THE STUDY IT WAS OBSERVED THAT SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE PULSE RATE OCCURS IN SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA (P<0.001). THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN VALUES OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BETWEEN STUDY GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP WAS ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01 AND P<0.001 RESPECTIVELY). THE SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH AGE IN THE STUDY GROUP (R1 SYSTOLIC= 0.631 AND R1 DIASTOLIC = 0.610) AS WELL AS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (R2 SYSTOLIC = 0.981 AND R2 DIASTOLIC = 0.864). THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORRELATION COEFFICIENT OF BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ALSO TESTED WITH THE USE OF Z TRANSFORMATION AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT (Z SYSTOLIC= 4.041 AND Z DIASTOLIC= 2.901). VALSALVA RATIO WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAN IN CONTROLS (P<0.001). OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA REDUCES THE AGE RELATED DETERIORATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. 2003 11 299 22 ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TREATMENT-YOGA, ACUPUNCTURE, BIOFEEDBACK AND MORE. THE LAST DECADE HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEWER MEDICATIONS AND IMPROVEMENT IN CATHETER ABLATION TECHNIQUES. RECURRENCE OF AF REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN THESE PATIENTS AND MEDICATIONS OFFER LIMITED SUPPORTIVE ROLE. COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT STRATEGIES THEREFORE REMAIN A VIABLE OPTION FOR THESE AF PATIENTS. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN AF SYMPTOMS WITH YOGA THERAPY, ACUPUNCTURE AND BIOFEEDBACK. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL HERBAL MEDICINE AND SUPPLEMENTS SUCH AS OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, ANTIOXIDANT VITAMINS, BARBERRY, MOTHERWORT, CINCHONA, SHENSONGYANGXIN, HAWTHORN, KELLA AND WENXIN KELI THAT HAVE BEEN EVALUATED AS POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS IN AF. THESE STUDIES ARE HOWEVER LIMITED BY SMALL SAMPLE SIZES WITH MIXED RESULTS. BESIDES THE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION, METABOLISM, INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS AND THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE HERBAL MEDICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. IN SPITE OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS, COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES REMAIN A PROMISING OPTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AF AND FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VALIDATE THEIR SAFETY AND EFFICACY. 2015 12 221 37 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF YOGA FOR HYPERTENSION. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS WAS TO EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE AND THE STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATION FOR YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC MEANS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, CENTRAL, AND INDMED WERE SCREENED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2014 FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS (>/=8 WEEKS) COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE OR ANY ACTIVE CONTROL INTERVENTION ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH PREHYPERTENSION (120-139/80-89 MM HG) OR HYPERTENSION (>/=140/>/=90 MM HG). RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL; QUALITY OF EVIDENCE WAS ASSESSED ACCORDING TO THE GRADE RECOMMENDATIONS. RESULTS: SEVEN RCTS WITH A TOTAL OF 452 PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED. COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE, VERY LOW-QUALITY EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYSTOLIC (6 RCTS, N = 278; MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD) = -9.65 MM HG, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) = -17.23 TO -2.06, P = 0.01; HETEROGENEITY: I (2) = 90%, CHI(2) = 48.21, P < 0.01) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (6 RCTS, N = 278; MD = -7.22 MM HG, 95% CI = -12.83 TO -1.62, P = 0.01; HETEROGENEITY: I (2) = 92%, CHI(2) = 64.84, P < 0.01). SUBGROUP ANALYSES REVEALED EFFECTS FOR RCTS THAT INCLUDED HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS BUT NOT FOR RCTS THAT INCLUDED BOTH HYPERTENSIVE AND PREHYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS, AS WELL AS FOR RCTS THAT ALLOWED ANTIHYPERTENSIVE COMEDICATION BUT NOT FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT. MORE ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED DURING YOGA THAN DURING USUAL CARE. COMPARED WITH EXERCISE, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYSTOLIC OR DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. CONCLUSIONS: LARGER STUDIES ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THE EMERGING BUT LOW-QUALITY EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY BE A USEFUL ADJUNCT INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION. 2014 13 873 39 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN HEART FAILURE. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT A HALL MARK OF HEART FAILURE IS ADVERSE CHANGES IN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION. ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE IS A POWERFUL PREDICTOR OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) OUTCOMES. IN THIS STUDY, WE PLANNED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A 12 WEEK YOGA THERAPY ON BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, HEART RATE VARIABILITY, AND RATE PRESSURE PRODUCT (RPP). METHODS: OUT OF 130 HEART FAILURE PATIENTS RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY, 65 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED TO RECEIVE 12 WEEK YOGA THERAPY ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY (YOGA GROUP). OTHER PATIENTS (N=65) RECEIVED ONLY STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY (CONTROL GROUP). HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, CARDIAC AUTONOMIC FUNCTION (BY SHORT-TERM HEART-RATE VARIABILITY ANALYSIS) AND MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (BY RPP) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, 44 PATIENTS AND IN THE CONTROL GROUP, 48 PATIENTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE AND RPP IN YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. ALSO, LFNU AND LF-HF RATIO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AND HFNU INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: TWELVE-WEEK YOGA THERAPY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND DECREASED THE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS (NYHA I&II). 2014 14 166 29 A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. METHODS: SEVENTY-NINE PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO STUDY AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE STUDY GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF INTEGRATED YOGA FOR 4 WEEKS. FINAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON 30 PATIENTS EACH OF STUDY AND CONTROL GROUP. RESULTS: THE MEAN SYSTOLIC BP DECLINED BY 7.43 +/- 5.86 MMHG IN THE STUDY GROUP AS COMPARED TO 2.50 +/- 5.21 MM HG IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P VALUE 0.002). THE MEAN DIASTOLIC BP PRIOR TO DELIVERY WAS 88.00 +/- 3.71 MMHG IN THE STUDY GROUP AND 92.20 +/- 5.02 MMHG IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.001). THE MATERNAL COMFORT IN LABOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AND THE DURATION OF LABOR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE STUDY GROUP. CONCLUSION: INTEGRATED YOGA EFFECTIVELY REDUCED SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES AND INCREASED MATERNAL COMFORT DURING LABOR IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDER OF PREGNANCY. 2021 15 856 29 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS. AIM: TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES THROUGH A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS. METHODS: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DECLARATION OF PRISMA. THE SEARCHES WERE CARRIED OUT ON THE DATABASES PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, EBSCO, SCOPUS, AND COCHRANE UNTIL AUGUST 2018. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES WERE INCLUDED. RESULTS: AFTER DATA SEARCHES, 483 STUDIES WERE FOUND, 23 OF WHICH WERE INCLUDED IN OUR ANALYSIS. WE FOUND THAT YOGA IMPROVES THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE (D= -0.64; 95% CI: -0.91 TO 0.038) OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING DOMAINS: FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY (D=16.43; 95% CI: 13.37-19.49), PHYSICAL ASPECTS (D=27.11; 95% CI: 19.40-34.83), EMOTIONAL ASPECTS (D=26.00; 95% CI: 18.87-33.13), GENERAL HEALTH (D=16.61; 95% CI: 12.66-20.55), AND SOCIAL ASPECTS (D=7.01 ; 95% CI: 5.57-9.45). CONCLUSION: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS WEAK RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE MADE FOR THE USE OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RD PATIENTS. 2019 16 922 26 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR HYPERTENSION: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES. TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE IN ADULTS WITH HYPERTENSION AND TO ASSESS THE MODIFYING INFLUENCES OF TYPE AND LENGTH OF YOGA INTERVENTION AND TYPE OF COMPARISON GROUP. METHODS. ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER, ALTHEALTHWATCH, BIOSIS/BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS, CINAHL, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, PSYCARTICLES, NATURAL STANDARD, AND WEB OF SCIENCE DATABASES WERE SCREENED FOR CONTROLLED STUDIES FROM 1966 TO MARCH 2013. TWO AUTHORS INDEPENDENTLY ASSESSED RISK OF BIAS USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS. ALL 17 STUDIES INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW HAD UNCLEAR OR HIGH RISK OF BIAS. YOGA HAD A MODEST BUT SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP) (-4.17 [-6.35, -1.99], P = 0.0002) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP) (-3.62 [-4.92, -1.60], P = 0.0001). SUBGROUP ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN BLOOD PRESSURE FOR (1) INTERVENTIONS INCORPORATING 3 BASIC ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE (POSTURES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING) (SBP: -8.17 MMHG [-12.45, -3.89]; DBP: -6.14 MMHG [-9.39, -2.89]) BUT NOT FOR MORE LIMITED YOGA INTERVENTIONS; (2) YOGA COMPARED TO NO TREATMENT (SBP: -7.96 MMHG [-10.65, -5.27]) BUT NOT FOR EXERCISE. CONCLUSION. YOGA CAN BE PRELIMINARILY RECOMMENDED AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE WARRANTED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2013 17 789 34 EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE ON PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS AMONG FEMALE EMPLOYEES IN TAIWAN. YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME ARE AVAILABLE, BUT THEIR EFFICACY IS UNCLEAR. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS' YOGA EXERCISE (YOGA INTERVENTION) ON PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS IN MENSTRUATING FEMALES IN TAIWAN. SIXTY-FOUR SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE YOGA INTERVENTION, AND BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION FILLED OUT A STRUCTURED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS, PERSONAL LIFESTYLE, MENSTRUAL STATUS, BASELINE MENSTRUAL PAIN SCORES, PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. OF 64 SUBJECTS, 90.6% REPORTED EXPERIENCING MENSTRUAL PAIN DURING MENSTRUATION. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SUBJECTS REPORTED DECREASED USE OF ANALGESICS DURING MENSTRUATION (P = 0.0290) AND DECREASED MODERATE OR SEVERE EFFECTS OF MENSTRUAL PAIN ON WORK (P = 0.0011). THE YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SCALE OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION (P = 0.0340) AND BODILY PAIN (P = 0.0087) OF THE SF-36, AND SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED ABDOMINAL SWELLING (P = 0.0011), BREAST TENDERNESS (P = 0.0348), ABDOMINAL CRAMPS (P = 0.0016), AND COLD SWEATS (P = 0.0143). MENSTRUAL PAIN MITIGATION AFTER YOGA EXERCISE CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN SIX SCALES OF THE SF-36 (PHYSICAL FUNCTION, BODILY PAIN, GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTION, VITALITY/ENERGY, SOCIAL FUNCTION, MENTAL HEALTH). EMPLOYERS CAN EDUCATE FEMALE EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA, WHICH MAY DECREASE PREMENSTRUAL DISTRESS AND IMPROVE FEMALE EMPLOYEE HEALTH. 2016 18 1053 35 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MODIFIABLE BIOLOGICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND IN HIGH-RISK DISEASE GROUPS. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, AND INDMED WERE SCREENED THROUGH AUGUST 2013 FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) ON YOGA FOR PREDEFINED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS, NON-DIABETIC PARTICIPANTS WITH HIGH RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, OR PARTICIPANTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS: FORTY-FOUR RCTS WITH A TOTAL OF 3168 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. RISK OF BIAS WAS HIGH OR UNCLEAR FOR MOST RCTS. RELATIVE TO USUAL CARE OR NO INTERVENTION, YOGA IMPROVED SYSTOLIC (MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD)=-5.85 MM HG; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI)=-8.81, -2.89) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (MD=-4.12 MM HG; 95%CI=-6.55, -1.69), HEART RATE (MD=-6.59 BPM; 95%CI=-12.89, -0.28), RESPIRATORY RATE (MD=-0.93 BREATHS/MIN; 95%CI=-1.70, -0.15), WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (MD=-1.95 CM; 95%CI=-3.01, -0.89), WAIST/HIP RATIO (MD=-0.02; 95%CI=-0.03, -0.00), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (MD=-13.09 MG/DL; 95%CI=-19.60, -6.59), HDL (MD=2.94 MG/DL; 95%CI=0.57, 5.31), VLDL (MD=-5.70 MG/DL; 95%CI=-7.36, -4.03), TRIGLYCERIDES (MD=-20.97 MG/DL; 95%CI=-28.61, -13.32), HBA1C (MD=-0.45%; 95%CI=-0.87, -0.02), AND INSULIN RESISTANCE (MD=-0.19; 95%CI=-0.30, -0.08). RELATIVE TO EXERCISE, YOGA IMPROVED HDL (MD=3.70 MG/DL; 95%CI=1.14, 6.26). CONCLUSIONS: THIS META-ANALYSIS REVEALED EVIDENCE FOR CLINICALLY IMPORTANT EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOST BIOLOGICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS. DESPITE METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES, YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION AND FOR PATIENTS WITH INCREASED RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2014 19 798 42 EFFECT OF YOGA LIFESTYLE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: IN SPITE OF SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HEART FAILURE (HF), MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY REMAIN HIGH. THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES. WE DID A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL TO STUDY EFFECT OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH HF IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), LEFT VENTRICLE EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF), C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AND NTPROBNP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 PATIENTS WITH STABLE HF NEW YORK HEART ASSOCIATION CLASS II WITH LVEF 30%-40% WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL GROUP (CG) AND YOGA GROUP (YG). CG RECEIVED THE GUIDELINE-BASED THERAPY AND YG IN ADDITION PRACTICED THE YOGA, ONE HOUR DAILY FOR 3 MONTHS. ALL PATIENTS WERE ASSESSED FOR QOL, CRP, NTPROBNP, AND LVEF AT BASELINE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN ALL FOUR PARAMETERS IN THE YG AS COMPARED TO THE CG (P < 0.01) AFTER 12 WEEKS. QOL AS ASSESSED BY MINNESOTA LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN YG AS COMPARED TO CG (10 V/S 14, P < 0.001). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WITHIN YG IN TERMS OF LVEF (33.4-36.8, P = 0.001), AND THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN LVEF WAS SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN THE GROUPS (10% V/S 5%, P = 0.001). NTPROBNP ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY 69.8% FROM 755 TO 220 PMOL/L IN YG AS COMPARED TO 39.3% IN CG (679-406 PMOL/L). CRP DECREASED BY 49.3% (5.36-2.73 MG/L) IN YG AND 35.8% (5.39-3.45 MG/L) IN CG. CONCLUSION: THE RESULT OF THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT ADDITION OF YOGA TO GUIDELINE-BASED THERAPY FOR HF PATIENTS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES QOL, LVEF, AND NTPROBNP AND REDUCES CRP LEVEL. LARGER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. 2022 20 2491 31 YOGA AS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE LIFESTYLE THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE LIFESTYLE THERAPY AND IDENTIFY MODERATORS THAT ACCOUNT FOR VARIABILITY IN THE BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) RESPONSE TO YOGA. METHODS: WE SYSTEMATICALLY SEARCHED 6 ELECTRONIC DATABASES FROM INCEPTION THROUGH JUNE 4, 2018, FOR ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE JOURNALS ON TRIALS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS THAT INVOLVED ADULT PARTICIPANTS, REPORTED PREINTERVENTION AND POSTINTERVENTION BP, AND HAD A NONEXERCISE/NONDIET CONTROL GROUP. OUR SEARCH YIELDED 49 QUALIFYING CONTROLLED TRIALS (56 INTERVENTIONS). WE (1) EVALUATED THE RISK OF BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL STUDY QUALITY, (2) PERFORMED META-REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOLLOWING RANDOM-EFFECTS ASSUMPTIONS, AND (3) GENERATED ADDITIVE MODELS THAT REPRESENTED THE LARGEST POSSIBLE CLINICALLY RELEVANT BP REDUCTIONS. RESULTS: ON AVERAGE, THE 3517 TRIAL PARTICIPANTS WERE MIDDLE-AGED (49.2+/-19.5 YEARS), OVERWEIGHT (27.9+/-3.6 KG/M(2)) ADULTS WITH HIGH BP (SYSTOLIC BP, 129.3+/-13.3 MM HG; DIASTOLIC BP, 80.7+/-8.4 MM HG). YOGA WAS PRACTICED 4.8+/-3.4 SESSIONS PER WEEK FOR 59.2+/-25.0 MINUTES PER SESSION FOR 13.2+/-7.5 WEEKS. ON AVERAGE, YOGA ELICITED MODERATE REDUCTIONS IN SYSTOLIC BP (WEIGHTED MEAN EFFECT SIZE, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.62-0.32, -5.0 MM HG) AND DIASTOLIC BP (WEIGHTED MEAN EFFECT SIZE, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.61 TO -0.32; -3.9 MM HG) COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (P<.001 FOR BOTH SYSTOLIC BP AND DIASTOLIC BP). CONTROLLING FOR PUBLICATION BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL STUDY QUALITY, WHEN YOGA WAS PRACTICED 3 SESSIONS PER WEEK AMONG SAMPLES WITH HYPERTENSION, YOGA INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDED BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION/MENTAL RELAXATION ELICITED BP REDUCTIONS OF 11/6 MM HG COMPARED WITH THOSE THAT DID NOT (IE, 6/3 MM HG). CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA IS A VIABLE ANTIHYPERTENSIVE LIFESTYLE THERAPY THAT PRODUCES THE GREATEST BP BENEFITS WHEN BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION/MENTAL RELAXATION ARE INCLUDED. 2019