1 324 119 ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED 108 CLIMACTERIC WOMEN. WE RECRUITED 28 WOMEN BETWEEN 40 AND 65 YEARS OLD WHO STARTED YOGA PRACTICES IN PREMENOPAUSE AND HAD ALREADY PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS. AS CONTROLS, WE SELECTED 30 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) PRACTITIONERS WHO HAD PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS AND 50 SEDENTARY WOMEN IN THE SAME AGE RANGE. WE CONDUCED ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. YOGA PRACTITIONERS ALSO HAD LOWER WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND WAIST-TO-HEIGHT RATIO; HIGHER LEVELS OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL; LOWER LEVELS OF TRIGLYCERIDES, INSULIN, HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE, URIC ACID, APOLIPOPROTEIN B AND HIGH-SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN; AND LOWER FREQUENCY OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, LIPID ACCUMULATION PRODUCT, VISCERAL ADIPOSITY INDEX AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE THAN THE SEDENTARY WOMEN. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LOWER GLUCOSE SERUM CONCENTRATIONS THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. OVERALL, THE YOGA GROUP ALSO HAD BETTER ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL VARIABLES THAN THE OTHER GROUPS. ALTHOUGH FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED, YOGA PRACTICE IN PREMENOPAUSE SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY REACH MENOPAUSE. 2022 2 2816 36 YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES METABOLIC PARAMETERS IN OBESE BOYS. YOGA HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THE METABOLIC PARAMETERS AND TO BE UNCOMPLICATED THERAPY FOR OBESITY. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO TEST THE EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK OF YOGA-ASANA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION, LIPID PROFILE, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE (IR) IN OBESE ADOLESCENT BOYS. TWENTY VOLUNTEERS WITH BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) GREATER THAN THE 95TH PERCENTILE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA (AGE 14.7+/-0.5 YEARS, N=10) AND CONTROL GROUPS (AGE 14.6+/-1.0 YEARS, N=10). THE YOGA GROUP PERFORMED EXERCISES THREE TIMES PER WEEK AT 40~60% OF HEART-RATE RESERVE (HRR) FOR 8 WEEKS. IR WAS DETERMINED WITH THE HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE (HOMA-IR). AFTER YOGA TRAINING, BODY WEIGHT, BMI, FAT MASS (FM), AND BODY FAT % (BF %) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, AND FAT-FREE MASS AND BASAL METABOLIC RATE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THAN BASELINE VALUES. FM AND BF % WERE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.05). TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (TC) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P<0.01). HDL-CHOLESTEROL WAS DECREASED IN BOTH GROUPS (P<0.05). NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN OR WITHIN GROUPS FOR TRIGLYCERIDES, LDL-CHOLESTEROL, GLUCOSE, INSULIN, AND HOMA-IR. OUR FINDINGS SHOW THAT AN 8-WEEK OF YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES BODY COMPOSITION AND TC LEVELS IN OBESE ADOLESCENT BOYS, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA TRAINING MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING SOME METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE ADOLESCENT BOYS. 2012 3 50 31 A COMPARATIVE CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND WALKING FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADULTS. BACKGROUND: WALKING AND YOGA HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED FOR WEIGHT CONTROL; HOWEVER, THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDIES COMPARING THE 2 WITH RANDOMIZATION. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF 90 MINUTES/DAY FOR 15 DAYS OF SUPERVISED YOGA OR SUPERVISED WALKING ON: (I) RELATED BIOCHEMISTRY, (II) ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES, (III) BODY COMPOSITION, (IV) POSTURAL STABILITY, AND (V) BILATERAL HAND GRIP STRENGTH IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. SIXTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, OF WHOM 5 WERE OVERWEIGHT (BMI >/=25 KG/M2) AND 63 WERE OBESE (BMI >/=30 KG/M2; GROUP MEAN AGE +/-S.D., 36.4+/-11.2 YEARS; 35 FEMALES), WERE RANDOMIZED AS 2 GROUPS - (I) A YOGA GROUP AND (II) A WALKING GROUP - GIVEN THE SAME DIET. RESULTS: ALL DIFFERENCES WERE PRE-POST CHANGES WITHIN EACH GROUP. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05; REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA, POST-HOC ANALYSES) DECREASE IN: BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, LEAN MASS, BODY WATER, AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. THE YOGA GROUP INCREASED SERUM LEPTIN (P<0.01) AND DECREASED LDL CHOLESTEROL (P<0.05). THE WALKING GROUP DECREASED SERUM ADIPONECTIN (P<0.05) AND TRIGLYCERIDES (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BOTH YOGA AND WALKING IMPROVED ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES AND SERUM LIPID PROFILE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 4 2075 40 THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: BIKRAM YOGA IS THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF HOT YOGA, DESPITE THE LIMITED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON ITS CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND INSULIN RESISTANCE IN YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR YOUNG (MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION, 30+/-1 YEARS) AND 18 MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER (MEAN AGE, 53+/-2 YEARS) ADULTS COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION. BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES WERE PERFORMED FOR 90 MINUTES PER SESSION, THREE TIMES PER WEEK, IN A ROOM HEATED TO 40.5 DEGREES C WITH 40%--60% RELATIVE HUMIDITY. RESULTS: BODY MASS, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE AND TRIGLYCERIDE CONCENTRATIONS DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTION IN EITHER THE YOUNG OR THE OLDER GROUP. TRUNK FLEXIBILITY, AS MEASURED BY THE SIT-AND-REACH TEST, INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS (P<0.01). TOTAL (P<0.05) AND LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (P<0.05) LEVELS, PLASMA INSULIN CONCENTRATIONS (P<0.01), AND SCORES ON THE HOMEOSTATIC MODEL OF THE ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE (P<0.01) DECREASED IN OLDER ADULTS, WHEREAS TOTAL AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATIONS WERE REDUCED IN YOUNG ADULTS (ALL P<0.05). CAROTID ARTERY COMPLIANCE (P<0.05) WAS INCREASED AND BETA-STIFFNESS INDEX DECREASED IN YOUNG (P<0.05) BUT NOT IN OLDER ADULTS. CAROTID PULSE PRESSURE DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE IN EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSION: A RELATIVELY SHORT-TERM BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVED ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN YOUNG BUT NOT OLDER ADULTS AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED INSULIN RESISTANCE INDEX IN OLDER BUT NOT YOUNG ADULTS. 2013 5 881 32 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN EMPLOYEES OF SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INTENDS TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON LIPID PROFILE, INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6, TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF)-ALPHA, AND HIGH-SENSITIVITY-C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (HS-CRP) AMONG APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, 48 PARTICIPANTS AGED 30-58 YEARS (41.5 +/- 5.2) WHO WERE EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS, THAT IS, EXPERIMENTAL AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR LIPID PROFILE, IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND HS-CRP AT THE BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA TRAINING INTERVENTION. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP UNDERWENT YOGA TRAINING INTERVENTION FOR 1 H FOR 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 3 MONTHS, WHEREAS CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED WITH THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES EXCEPT YOGA TRAINING. DATA ANALYSIS WAS DONE USING STATISTICAL SOFTWARE SPSS VERSION 20.0. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED T-TESTS AND INDEPENDENT T-TEST. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF WITHIN GROUP COMPARISON REVEALED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.001), HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (P < 0.001), LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL)(P < 0.01), HS-CRP (P < 0.01), IL-6 (P < 0.001), AND TNF-ALPHA (P < 0.001) IN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP REVEALED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.01), LDL (P < 0.05), IL-6 (P < 0.01), TNF-ALPHA (P < 0.01), AND HS-CRP (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION SEEMS TO BE A HIGHLY PROMISING ALTERNATIVE THERAPY WHICH FAVORABLY ALTERS INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS. 2017 6 1102 32 EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AMONG HEALTHY MALE. BACKGROUND: THE STRESSFUL CONDITION MAY CAUSE OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES. AIMS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA HAS IMPACT ON THE REDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS. METHODS: FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, 95 (N = 95) HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-24 YEARS WERE INCLUDED, 35 (N = 35) VOLUNTEERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE REMAINING 60 (N = 60) VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: (A) YOGA GROUP (N = 30) AND (B) CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR 60 MIN PER DAY, 6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH NO YOGA TRAINING IN CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WERE PERFORMED IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT BASELINE, BEFORE YOGA TRAINING (0 WEEK) AND AFTER (12 WEEKS) OF THE TRAINING. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION (P < 0.001) IN THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND MALONDIALDEHYDE; SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION (P < 0.001) IN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND ASCORBIC ACID LEVELS WERE NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA (0 WEEK). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, BODY SURFACE AREA AND LEAN BODY MASS AMONG THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE DUE TO YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES BODY FAT AND OXIDATIVE STRESS. YOGA TRAINING MAY BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE OF VARIOUS DISEASES AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. 2018 7 1298 23 HATHA YOGA AND VASCULAR FUNCTION: RESULTS FROM CROSS-SECTIONAL AND INTERVENTIONAL STUDIES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF HATHA YOGA ON ARTERIAL ELASTICITY AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. FIRST, A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTITIONERS WOULD DEMONSTRATE GREATER ARTERIAL COMPLIANCE AND ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATION THAN THEIR SEDENTARY PEERS. SECOND, AN INTERVENTION STUDY INVOLVING 13 SEDENTARY MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS (51 +/- 7 YEARS) WAS PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHETHER 12 WEEKS OF HATHA YOGA WOULD ELICIT INCREASES IN ARTERIAL COMPLIANCE AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. IN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY INVOLVING A TOTAL OF 34 SUBJECTS, THERE WERE NO GROUP DIFFERENCES IN BODY FATNESS, BLOOD LIPID AND LIPOPROTEIN CONCENTRATIONS, CAROTID ARTERY COMPLIANCE OR BRACHIAL ARTERY FLOW-MEDIATED DILATION (FMD). HEMOGLOBIN A1C WAS LOWER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAN IN SEDENTARY ADULTS (P < 0.05). TOTAL CHOLESTEROL AND HEMOGLOBIN A1C DECREASED AFTER THE INTERVENTION (P < 0.05) WHILE CAROTID ARTERY COMPLIANCE AND BRACHIAL ARTERY FMD DID NOT CHANGE. THE RESULTS OF BOTH CROSS-SECTIONAL AND INTERVENTIONAL STUDIES INDICATE THAT REGULAR PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN VASCULAR FUNCTIONS. 2013 8 668 38 EFFECT OF A 16-WEEK BIKRAM YOGA PROGRAM ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND ASSOCIATED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS IN STRESSED AND SEDENTARY ADULTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC ACTIVATION OF THE STRESS-RESPONSE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK, PARTICULARLY IN SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF A BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE HIGH FREQUENCY POWER COMPONENT OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND ASSOCIATED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) RISK FACTORS (I.E. ADDITIONAL DOMAINS OF HRV, HEMODYNAMIC, HEMATOLOGIC, ANTHROPOMETRIC AND BODY COMPOSITION OUTCOME MEASURES) IN STRESSED AND SEDENTARY ADULTS. METHODS: ELIGIBLE ADULTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N = 29) OR A NO TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP (N = 34). EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPANTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO ATTEND THREE TO FIVE SUPERVISED BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK FOR 16 WEEKS AT LOCAL STUDIOS. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE (WEEK 0) AND COMPLETION (WEEK 17). RESULTS: SIXTY-THREE ADULTS (37.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS, 79% WOMEN) WERE INCLUDED IN THE INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ATTENDED 27 +/- 18 CLASSES. ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE HIGH-FREQUENCY COMPONENT OF HRV (P = 0.912, PARTIAL ETA (2) = 0.000) OR IN ANY SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURE BETWEEN GROUPS OVER TIME. HOWEVER, REGRESSION ANALYSES REVEALED THAT HIGHER ATTENDANCE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (P = 0.039; PARTIAL ETA (2) = 0.154), BODY FAT PERCENTAGE (P = 0.001, PARTIAL ETA (2) = 0.379), FAT MASS (P = 0.003, PARTIAL ETA (2) = 0.294) AND BODY MASS INDEX (P = 0.05, PARTIAL ETA (2) = 0.139). CONCLUSIONS: A 16-WEEK BIKRAM YOGA PROGRAM DID NOT INCREASE THE HIGH FREQUENCY POWER COMPONENT OF HRV OR ANY OTHER CVD RISK FACTORS INVESTIGATED. AS REVEALED BY POST HOC ANALYSES, LOW ADHERENCE LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE NULL EFFECTS. FUTURE STUDIES ARE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO ADHERENCE TO BETTER ELUCIDATE THE DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE AS A MEDIUM TO LOWER STRESS-RELATED CVD RISK. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED WITH AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY ACTRN12616000867493 . REGISTERED 04 JULY 2016. 2017 9 993 11 EFFECTS OF HEATED AND THERMONEUTRAL YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. THE STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF 12 WEEKS OF HEATED AND THERMONEUTRAL BIKRAM YOGA IN REDUCING ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. FIFTY-FOUR SEDENTARY ADULTS (AGES 40-60 YEARS) COMPLETED 12 WEEKS OF YOGA AT 40.5 DEGREES C (N = 21), YOGA AT 23 DEGREES C (N = 14) OR TIME CONTROL (N = 19). BRACHIAL-ANKLE PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (PWV) WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED BY HOT OR THERMONEUTRAL YOGA INTERVENTIONS. 2018 10 1030 46 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS YOGA EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NONPHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS OF IMPROVING SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. METHODS: SIXTEEN HEALTHY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AGED 54.50 +/- 2.75 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 36% BODY FAT WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 8) OR TO A "NO EXERCISE" CONTROL GROUP (N = 8). THE VARIABLES OF BODY COMPOSITION, VISCERAL FAT, SERUM ADIPONECTIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS WERE MEASURED IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 16-WEEK STUDY. RESULTS: BODY WEIGHT, PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT, LEAN BODY MASS, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND VISCERAL FAT AREA HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND ADIPONECTIN HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, BUT TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN, GLUCOSE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. SERUM ADIPONECTIN CONCENTRATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE IN THE POSTYOGA EXERCISE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES ADIPONECTIN LEVEL, SERUM LIPIDS, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA EXERCISE WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAUSED BY OBESITY IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. 2012 11 1045 26 EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS PRACTISED IN HEATED AND THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION: THE BIKRAM YOGA HEART STUDY. NEW FINDINGS: WHAT IS THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF THIS STUDY? DOES THE HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT ENHANCE THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS? WHAT IS THE MAIN FINDING AND ITS IMPORTANCE? THE PRIMARY FINDING FROM THIS INVESTIGATION IS THAT THE HATHA YOGA POSTURES IN THE BIKRAM YOGA SERIES PRODUCE SIMILAR ENHANCEMENTS IN ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS REGARDLESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE. THESE FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA POSTURES IN PRODUCING IMPROVEMENTS IN VASCULAR HEALTH AND DOWNPLAY THE NECESSITY OF THE HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT IN INDUCING VASCULAR ADAPTATIONS. ABSTRACT: WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTED IMPROVEMENTS IN ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WITH A BIKRAM (HOT) YOGA INTERVENTION IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. AT PRESENT, THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE IN HOT YOGA ON ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTIONS PERFORMED IN HEATED OR THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION. FIFTY-TWO SEDENTARY BUT APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS AGED 40-60 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED AT 40.5 DEGREES C (N = 19), BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED AT 23 DEGREES C (N = 14) OR SEDENTARY TIME CONTROL (N = 19). THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS CONSISTED OF 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WAS MEASURED NON-INVASIVELY USING BRACHIAL ARTERY FLOW-MEDIATED DILATATION (FMD). BODY FAT PERCENTAGE DETERMINED VIA DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE HOT YOGA GROUP AFTER THE INTERVENTION THAN IN THE THERMONEUTRAL YOGA AND CONTROL CONDITIONS. BRACHIAL ARTERY FMD INCREASED (P < 0.05) IN THE THERMONEUTRAL YOGA GROUP AND TENDED TO INCREASE IN THE HOT YOGA GROUP (P = 0.056). NO CHANGES OCCURRED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN FMD CHANGE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE THAT BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED IN THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS IMPROVED ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. THESE NEW FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES ALONE, IN THE ABSENCE OF A HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT, IN IMPROVING VASCULAR HEALTH AND ARE OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE GIVEN THE INCREASED PROPENSITY FOR HEAT INTOLERANCE IN AGEING ADULTS. 2018 12 944 38 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON METABOLIC RISK AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METABOLIC SYNDROME. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE METABOLIC RISK PROFILES AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CONTROLLED TRIAL WITHIN AN UNIVERSITY-AFFILIATED HOSPITAL. 173 CHINESE MEN AND WOMEN AGED 18 OR ABOVE WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 87) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 86). PRIMARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED 12-WEEK CHANGE IN METABOLIC RISK FACTORS AND METS Z SCORE. SECONDARY OUTCOME WAS HRQOL (MEDICAL OUTCOMES SHORT FORM SURVEY AT 12 WEEKS). RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS 52.0 (SD 7.4, RANGE 31-71) YEARS. ANALYSIS INVOLVING THE ENTIRE STUDY POPULATION REVEALED THAT THE YOGA GROUP ACHIEVED GREATER DECLINE IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (P<0.001), FASTING GLUCOSE (P<0.01), TRIGLYCERIDES (P<0.05), AND METS Z SCORE (P<0.01). YOGA TRAINING ALSO IMPROVED GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS (P<0.01), PHYSICAL COMPONENT SCORE (P<0.01), AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING (P<0.01) DOMAINS SCORE OF HRQOL. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN THE MEAN CHANGE OF SYSTOLIC/DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES OR HIGH-DENSITY LIPID PROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (ALL P>0.05). THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE INTERVENTION EFFECTS ON WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND METS Z SCORE BETWEEN THE METS SUBGROUPS (BOTH P>0.05). CONCLUSION: A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES METABOLIC RISK PROFILES AND HRQOL IN CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY ACTRN12613000816752. 2015 13 2076 20 THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE IF BIKRAM YOGA, A STYLE OF HEATED HATHA YOGA, WOULD IMPROVE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER, HEALTHY ADULTS. THIS TRIAL WAS PERFORMED IN 36 YOUNG (N = 17) AND MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS (N = 19) WHO COMPLETED 3 WEEKLY BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES FOR 8 WEEKS. HEIGHT, BODY WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION WERE DETERMINED AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION WAS MEASURED NONINVASIVELY USING BRACHIAL ARTERY FLOW-MEDIATED DILATION (FMD) BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. NO CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT, BMI OR BODY FAT PERCENTAGE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTION IN EITHER GROUP. BRACHIAL ARTERY FMD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER (P < 0.05) BUT NOT IN YOUNG ADULTS AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTION. THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT A RELATIVELY SHORT-TERM BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS. WHILE APPARENTLY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS IN THIS STUDY EXPERIENCED NO ADVERSE EVENTS, THOSE WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS SHOULD TAKE CAUTION AND CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN THIS STYLE OF YOGA. 2017 14 674 36 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 15 1578 31 MEASUREMENT OF THE EFFECT OF ISHA YOGA ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM USING SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY. BACKGROUND: BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA HAVE BEEN POSTULATED TO BE DUE TO MODULATION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF ISHA YOGA PRACTICES ON CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM THROUGH SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). DESIGN OF THE STUDY: SHORT-TERM HRV OF LONG-TERM REGULAR HEALTHY 14 (12 MALES AND 2 FEMALES) ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF AGE- AND GENDER-MATCHED 14 (12 MALES AND 2 FEMALES) NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS AND MATERIALS: ECG LEAD II AND RESPIRATORY MOVEMENTS WERE RECORDED IN BOTH GROUPS USING POLYRITE DURING SUPINE REST FOR 5 MIN AND CONTROLLED DEEP BREATHING FOR 1 MINUTE. FREQUENCY DOMAIN ANALYSIS [RR INTERVAL IS THE MEAN OF DISTANCE BETWEEN SUBSEQUENT R WAVE PEAKS IN ECG], LOW FREQUENCY (LF) POWER, HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) POWER, LF NORMALIZED UNITS (NU), HF NU, LF/HF RATIO] AND TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS [STANDARD DEVIATION OF NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVAL (SDNN), SQUARE OF MEAN SQUARED DIFFERENCE OF SUCCESSIVE NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVALS (RMSSD), NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVALS WHICH ARE DIFFERING BY 50 MS (NN50), AND PERCENTAGE OF NN50 (PNN50)] OF HRV VARIABLES WERE ANALYZED FOR SUPINE REST. TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS WAS RECORDED FOR DEEP BREATHING. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CONTROLS IN BOTH FREQUENCY AND TIME DOMAIN ANALYSES OF HRV INDICES, WITH NO DIFFERENCE IN RESTING HEART RATE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTITIONERS OF ISHA YOGA SHOWED WELL-BALANCED BENEFICIAL ACTIVITY OF VAGAL EFFERENTS, AN OVERALL INCREASED HRV, AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE, COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING SUPINE REST AND DEEP BREATHING. 2012 16 1970 32 SHORT TERM HEALTH IMPACT OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM ON OBESITY. BACKGROUND: OBESE PERSONS OFTEN FIND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DIFFICULT. THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, EMPHASIZING BREATHING TECHNIQUES PRACTICED WHILE SEATED, WAS ASSESSED IN OBESE PERSONS. MATERIAL/METHODS: A SINGLE GROUP OF 47 PERSONS WERE ASSESSED ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, WITH 6 DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION BETWEEN ASSESSMENTS. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE: BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, MID-ARM CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY COMPOSITION, HAND GRIP STRENGTH, POSTURAL STABILITY, SERUM LIPID PROFILE AND FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR 5 HOURS EVERY DAY AND HAD A LOW FAT, HIGH FIBER, VEGETARIAN DIET. LAST AND FIRST DAY DATA WERE COMPARED USING A T-TEST FOR PAIRED DATA. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 6-DAY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED A DECREASE IN BMI (1.6 PERCENT), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, FAT-FREE MASS, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (7.7 PERCENT DECREASE), HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL (8.7 PERCENT DECREASE), FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS (44.2 PERCENT DECREASE) AND AN INCREASE IN POSTURAL STABILITY AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH (P<0.05, ALL COMPARISONS). CONCLUSIONS: A 6-DAY YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM DECREASED THE BMI AND THE FAT-FREE MASS. TOTAL CHOLESTEROL ALSO DECREASED DUE TO REDUCED HDL LEVELS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM WITH A CHANGE IN DIET CAN POSE CERTAIN RISKS. BENEFITS SEEN WERE BETTER POSTURAL STABILITY, GRIP STRENGTH (THOUGH A 'PRACTICE EFFECT' WAS NOT RULED OUT), REDUCED WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES AND A DECREASE IN SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. 2010 17 706 33 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON MALE OBESITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS-A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: OBESITY IS A GROWING GLOBAL EPIDEMIC AND CAUSE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. YOGA IS ONE OF THE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS WHICH IS ONE OF THE CAUSES OF OBESITY. AIM: TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) YOGA MODULE ON ADULT MALE OBESITY IN AN URBAN SETTING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RCT (RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL) WAS CONDUCTED FOR 14 WEEKS ON OBESE MALE SUBJECTS WITH YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. TOTAL NUMBER OF SUBJECTS WERE 72 AND THEY WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS (YOGA N=37, CONTROL N=35). THE SUBJECTS WERE FROM AN URBAN SETTING OF MUMBAI AND WERE DOING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME. SPECIAL YOGA TRAINING OF IAYT WAS GIVEN TO YOGA GROUP FOR ONE AND HALF HOUR FOR 5 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 14 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND NO SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WAS GIVEN. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), MAC (MID UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCES) OF LEFT AND RIGHT ARM, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (WC), HC (HIP CIRCUMFERENCE), WHR (WAIST HIP RATIO), SKF(SKIN FOLD THICKNESS OF BICEPS, TRICEPS, SUB SCAPULAR, SUPRAILIAC AND CUMULATIVE), PERCENTAGE BODY FAT BASED ON SKF AND PSYCHOLOGICAL QUESTIONNAIRES OF PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND AAQW (ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WEIGHT RELATED DIFFICULTY). THESE WERE TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION FOR BOTH YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. WITHIN AND BETWEEN GROUP ANALYSIS & CORRELATION OF DIFFERENCES FROM POST TO PRE READINGS AMONG THE VARIABLES, WERE CARRIED OUT USING SPSS 21. RESULTS: THE ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WERE IMPROVED IN BOTH THE GROUPS BUT CHANGES WERE SIGNIFICANT IN YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: INCORPORATING THE IAYT FOR OBESE MALE IN URBAN SETTING WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR OBESITY TREATMENT AND FOR REDUCING THE OBESITY RELATED PROBLEMS. 2016 18 2242 31 THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA ON CENTRAL ARTERIAL STIFFNESS. PURPOSE: CENTRAL ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IS AN ACCEPTED RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. WHILE AEROBIC ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED STIFFNESS THE INFLUENCE OF PRACTICING YOGA IS UNKNOWN. THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO: 1) EVALUATE ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS WHO REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA, PERFORMED REGULAR EXERCISE, OR WERE INACTIVE, 2) EVALUATE THE REPRODUCIBILITY OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS MEASURED IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT CAROTID ARTERY AND BY PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (PWV). METHODS: TWENTY SIX HEALTHY SUBJECTS (MALE AND FEMALE, 40-65 YRS OLD) WERE TESTED ON TWO SEPARATE DAYS. CAROTID ARTERY DISTENSIBILITY (DC) WAS MEASURED WITH ULTRASOUND. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WAS DETERMINED BY QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: YOGA AND AEROBIC SUBJECTS HAD SIMILAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS. YOGA AND AEROBIC GROUPS WERE NOT DIFFERENT IN EITHER DC (P = 0.26) OR PWV (P = 0.21). THE SEDENTARY GROUP HAD LOWER DC AND HIGHER PWV COMPARED TO THE AEROBIC AND YOGA GROUPS (BOTH, P < 0.001). STIFFNESS MEASURES WERE RELIABLE DAY TO DAY (COEFFICIENTS OF VARIATION APPROXIMATELY 2.5%) AND SIMILAR BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT ARTERIES (CV = 2.2%). CONCLUSION: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WAS A STRONG PREDICTOR OF BOTH MEASURES OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, ALTHOUGH OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS NUTRITIONAL STATUS NEED TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. AN INDEPENDENT EFFECT OF PRACTICING YOGA COULD NOT BE DETECTED. STIFFNESS MEASURES WERE REPRODUCIBLE AND LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES WERE CONSISTENT WITH EACH OTHER. 2008 19 2741 35 YOGA PRACTICE FOR REDUCING THE MALE OBESITY AND WEIGHT RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES-A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: OBESITY IS A HEALTH DISORDER AND INCREASING ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT IS ALSO A CAUSE FOR MANY NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES THE STRESS LEVEL WHICH MAY IMPROVE THE EATING HABITS AND HELP IN WEIGHT REDUCTION. AIM: TO ASSESS THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE EFFECTS AFTER 3 MONTHS OF THE 14 WEEKS YOGA TRAINING ON OBESITY OF ADULT MALE IN AN URBAN SETTING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH PARALLEL GROUPS (YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS) ON MALE OBESE. TOTAL 80 SUBJECTS WITH BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) BETWEEN 25 TO 35 KG/CM(2) WERE ENROLLED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO EQUAL GROUPS IN WHICH 72 SUBJECTS (YOGA N = 37 AND CONTROL N=35) COMPLETED THE TRIAL. YOGA GROUP MEAN AGE +/- SD WAS 40.03+/-8.74 AND CONTROL GROUP MEAN AGE+/-SD WAS 42.20+/-12.06. A 14 WEEKS SPECIAL IAYT (INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY) YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN TO THE YOGA GROUP AND NO SPECIFIC ACTIVITY WAS GIVEN TO CONTROL GROUP. THE INTERIM RESULTS OF THIS STUDY AT 14 WEEKS WERE COVERED IN ANOTHER ARTICLE WHICH IS UNDER PROCESS. AFTER THE 14 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING THE YOGA GROUP WAS ASKED TO CONTINUE THE YOGA PRACTICE FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS AND THE CONTROL GROUP WAS NOT GIVEN ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE FINAL OUTCOME IS COVERED IN THIS PAPER. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF BODY WEIGHT (WT), BMI (BODY MASS INDEX), MAC (MID-UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCES OF LEFT AND RIGHT ARM), WC (WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE), HC (HIP CIRCUMFERENCE), WHR (WAIST HIP RATIO), SKF (SKIN FOLD THICKNESS) OF BICEPS, TRICEPS, SUB SCAPULAR, SUPRAILIAC AND CUMULATIVE SKIN FOLD THICKNESS VALUE), PERCENTAGE BODY FAT BASED ON SKF AND PSYCHOLOGICAL QUESTIONNAIRES OF PSS (PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE) AND AAQW (ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WEIGHT RELATED DIFFICULTY). ASSESSMENTS WERE TAKEN AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA TRAINING, FOR BOTH YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. WITHIN GROUP, BETWEEN GROUP AND CORRELATION ANALYSES WERE CARRIED OUT USING SPSS 21. RESULTS: IMPROVEMENT IN ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS WT, PERCENTAGE BODY FAT, PSS WERE OBSERVED IN THE FINAL OUTCOME. ALSO, SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS AAQW SCORE WERE LOST IN THE FINAL OUTCOME, COMPARED TO INTERIM RESULTS. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA PRACTICE IS EFFECTIVE FOR OBESITY CONTROL FOR ADULT MALE IN AN URBAN SETTING. 2016 20 2072 34 THE EFFECT OF A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON BRACHIAL ARTERY REACTIVITY: DO PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS AFFECT VASCULAR TONE? BACKGROUND: CHRONIC STRESS IS ESTIMATED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR (CV) EVENTS TWO-FOLD. ALTHOUGH STRESS REDUCTION HAS BEEN LINKED TO A REDUCTION IN CV EVENTS, LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING ITS EXACT MECHANISM OF BENEFIT. HYPOTHESIS: YOGA AND MEDITATION WILL IMPROVE PARAMETERS OF ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. METHODS: WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON HEMODYNAMIC AND LABORATORY PARAMETERS AS WELL AS ON ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN A 6-WEEK PILOT STUDY. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES, HEART RATE, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), FASTING GLUCOSE, LIPIDS, HS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION (AS ASSESSED BY BRACHIAL ARTERY REACTIVITY) WERE ALL STUDIED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: A COURSE IN YOGA AND MEDITATION WAS GIVEN TO THE SUBJECTS FOR 1.5 H THREE TIMES WEEKLY FOR 6 WEEKS AND SUBJECTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS AT HOME. THIS PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY INCLUDED 33 SUBJECTS (MEAN AGE 55 +/- 11 YEARS) BOTH WITH (30%) AND WITHOUT (70%) ESTABLISHED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD). THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, AND BMI IN THE TOTAL COHORT WITH YOGA. NONE OF THE LABORATORY PARAMETERS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH YOGA. FOR THE TOTAL COHORT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ENDOTHELIAL-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WITH YOGA TRAINING AND MEDITATION COMPARED WITH BASELINE (16.7% RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT FROM 7.2-8.4%; P = 0.3). IN THE GROUP WITH CAD, ENDOTHELIAL-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IMPROVED 69% WITH YOGA TRAINING (6.38-10.78%; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: YOGA AND MEDITATION APPEAR TO IMPROVE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN SUBJECTS WITH CAD. 2006