1 1434 150 IMPROVING VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS; PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS; AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERI- OR POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN THROUGH YOGA: AN UMBRELLA SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES: VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS (VMS), COMMONLY REPORTED DURING MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION, NEGATIVELY AFFECT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). WHILE HORMONE THERAPY IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, ITS USE IS LIMITED BY CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE HARMS. THUS, MANY WOMEN WITH VMS SEEK NONHORMONAL, NONPHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT OPTIONS. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE TO GUIDE CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS IS INCONCLUSIVE. THIS STUDY REVIEWED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA, TAI CHI AND QIGONG ON VASOMOTOR, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND HRQOL IN PERI- OR POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. DESIGN: MEDLINE, COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, EMBASE, CINAHL AND THE ALLIED AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASE WERE SEARCHED. RESEARCHERS IDENTIFIED SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (SR) OR RCTS THAT EVALUATED YOGA, TAI CHI, OR QIGONG FOR VASOMOTOR, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN PERI- OR POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. DATA WERE ABSTRACTED ON STUDY DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES. RISK OF BIAS (ROB) WAS ASSESSED AND UPDATED META-ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED. RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED ONE HIGH-QUALITY SR (5 RCTS, 582 PARTICIPANTS) AND 3 NEW RCTS (345 PARTICIPANTS) PUBLISHED AFTER THE SR EVALUATING YOGA FOR VASOMOTOR, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND HRQOL; NO STUDIES EVALUATED TAI CHI OR QIGONG. UPDATED META-ANALYSES INDICATE THAT, COMPARED TO CONTROLS, YOGA REDUCED VMS (5 TRIALS, STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) -0.27, 95% CI -0.49 TO -0.05) AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS (6 TRIALS, SDM -0.32; 95% CI -0.47 TO -0.17). EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE WERE REPORTED INFREQUENTLY. KEY LIMITATIONS ARE THAT ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE RARELY REPORTED AND OUTCOME MEASURES LACKED STANDARDIZATION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS FROM THIS META-ANALYSIS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY BE A USEFUL THERAPY TO MANAGE BOTHERSOME VASOMOTOR AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. 2017 2 1602 48 MENOPAUSAL QUALITY OF LIFE: RCT OF YOGA, EXERCISE, AND OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF 3 NONHORMONAL THERAPIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MENOPAUSE-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS. STUDY DESIGN: WE CONDUCTED A 12-WEEK 3 X 2 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, FACTORIAL DESIGN TRIAL. PERI- AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN, 40-62 YEARS OLD, WERE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO YOGA (N = 107), EXERCISE (N = 106), OR USUAL ACTIVITY (N = 142) AND ALSO ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO A DOUBLE-BLIND COMPARISON OF OMEGA-3 (N = 177) OR PLACEBO (N = 178) CAPSULES. WE PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING INTERVENTIONS: (1) WEEKLY 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES WITH DAILY AT-HOME PRACTICE, (2) INDIVIDUALIZED FACILITY-BASED AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING 3 TIMES/WEEK, AND (3) 0.615 G OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENT, 3 TIMES/DAY. THE OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED WITH THE FOLLOWING SCORES: MENOPAUSAL QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE (MENQOL) TOTAL AND DOMAIN (VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, PSYCHOSOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL). RESULTS: AMONG 355 RANDOMLY ASSIGNED WOMEN WHO AVERAGE AGE WAS 54.7 YEARS, 338 WOMEN (95%) COMPLETED 12-WEEK ASSESSMENTS. MEAN BASELINE VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS FREQUENCY WAS 7.6/DAY, AND THE MEAN BASELINE TOTAL MENQOL SCORE WAS 3.8 (RANGE, 1-8 FROM BETTER TO WORSE) WITH NO BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES. FOR YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL ACTIVITY, BASELINE TO 12-WEEK IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN FOR MENQOL TOTAL -0.3 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -0.6 TO 0; P = .02), VASOMOTOR SYMPTOM DOMAIN (P = .02), AND SEXUALITY DOMAIN (P = .03) SCORES. FOR WOMEN WHO UNDERWENT EXERCISE AND OMEGA-3 THERAPY COMPARED WITH CONTROL SUBJECTS, IMPROVEMENTS IN BASELINE TO 12-WEEK TOTAL MENQOL SCORES WERE NOT OBSERVED. EXERCISE SHOWED BENEFIT IN THE MENQOL PHYSICAL DOMAIN SCORE AT 12 WEEKS (P = .02). CONCLUSION: ALL WOMEN BECOME MENOPAUSAL, AND MANY OF THEM SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE ON WAYS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE; LITTLE EVIDENCE-BASED INFORMATION EXISTS. WE FOUND THAT, AMONG HEALTHY SEDENTARY MENOPAUSAL WOMEN, YOGA APPEARS TO IMPROVE MENOPAUSAL QUALITY OF LIFE; THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR FINDING IS UNCERTAIN BECAUSE OF THE MODEST EFFECT. 2014 3 111 28 A PILOT STUDY OF A HATHA YOGA TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF A YOGA TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. BOTH PHYSIOLOGIC AND SELF-REPORTED MEASURES OF HOT FLASHES WERE INCLUDED. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE WITHIN-GROUP PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED. PARTICIPANTS WERE 12 PERI- AND POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN EXPERIENCING AT LEAST 4 MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES PER DAY, AT LEAST 4 DAYS PER WEEK. ASSESSMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM. PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT MEASURES INCLUDED: SEVERITY OF QUESTIONNAIRE-RATED MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (WIKLUND SYMPTOM CHECK LIST), FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLASHES (24-H AMBULATORY SKIN-CONDUCTANCE MONITORING; HOT-FLASH DIARY), INTERFERENCE OF HOT FLASHES WITH DAILY LIFE (HOT FLASH RELATED DAILY INTERFERENCE SCALE), AND SUBJECTIVE SLEEP QUALITY (PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX). YOGA CLASSES INCLUDED BREATHING TECHNIQUES, POSTURES, AND RELAXATION POSES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO PRACTICE AT HOME 15 MIN EACH DAY IN ADDITION TO WEEKLY CLASSES. RESULTS: ELEVEN WOMEN COMPLETED THE STUDY AND ATTENDED A MEAN OF 7.45 (S.D. 1.63) CLASSES. SIGNIFICANT PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR SEVERITY OF QUESTIONNAIRE-RATED TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, HOT-FLASH DAILY INTERFERENCE; AND SLEEP EFFICIENCY, DISTURBANCES, AND QUALITY. NEITHER 24-H MONITORING NOR ACCOMPANYING DIARIES YIELDED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HOT FLASHES. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA TREATMENT AND STUDY PROCEDURES WERE FEASIBLE FOR MIDLIFE WOMEN. IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOM PERCEPTIONS AND WELL BEING WARRANT FURTHER STUDY OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, WITH A LARGER NUMBER OF WOMEN AND INCLUDING A CONTROL GROUP. 2007 4 1133 38 EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN ALLEVIATING VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS (VMS) FREQUENCY AND BOTHER. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS A THREE-BY-TWO FACTORIAL, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ELIGIBLE WOMEN WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (N = 107), EXERCISE (N = 106), OR USUAL ACTIVITY (N = 142), AND WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY RANDOMIZED TO A DOUBLE-BLIND COMPARISON OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID (N = 177) OR PLACEBO (N = 178) CAPSULES. YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 12 WEEKLY 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES WITH DAILY HOME PRACTICE. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE VMS FREQUENCY AND BOTHER ASSESSED BY DAILY DIARIES AT BASELINE, 6 WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED INSOMNIA SYMPTOMS (INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX) AT BASELINE AND 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: AMONG 249 RANDOMIZED WOMEN, 237 (95%) COMPLETED 12-WEEK ASSESSMENTS. THE MEAN BASELINE VMS FREQUENCY WAS 7.4 PER DAY (95% CI, 6.6 TO 8.1) IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 8.0 PER DAY (95% CI, 7.3 TO 8.7) IN THE USUAL ACTIVITY GROUP. INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES INCLUDED ALL PARTICIPANTS WITH RESPONSE DATA (N = 237). THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS IN THE CHANGE IN VMS FREQUENCY FROM BASELINE TO 6 AND 12 WEEKS (MEAN DIFFERENCE [YOGA--USUAL ACTIVITY] FROM BASELINE AT 6 WK, -0.3 [95% CI, -1.1 TO 0.5]; MEAN DIFFERENCE [YOGA--USUAL ACTIVITY] FROM BASELINE AT 12 WK, -0.3 [95% CI, -1.2 TO 0.6]; P = 0.119 ACROSS BOTH TIME POINTS). RESULTS WERE SIMILAR FOR VMS BOTHER. AT WEEK 12, YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AN IMPROVEMENT IN INSOMNIA SYMPTOMS (MEAN DIFFERENCE [YOGA - USUAL ACTIVITY] IN THE CHANGE IN INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX, 1.3 [95% CI, -2.5 TO -0.1]; P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: AMONG HEALTHY WOMEN, 12 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASS PLUS HOME PRACTICE, COMPARED WITH USUAL ACTIVITY, DO NOT IMPROVE VMS FREQUENCY OR BOTHER BUT REDUCE INSOMNIA SYMPTOMS. 2014 5 923 56 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVES. TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. METHODS. MEDLINE, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, AND PSYCINFO WERE SCREENED THROUGH APRIL 2012. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) WERE INCLUDED IF THEY ASSESSED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MAJOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, NAMELY, (1) PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, (2) SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, (3) VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, AND/OR (4) UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS. FOR EACH OUTCOME, STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCES (SMDS) AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CIS) WERE CALCULATED. TWO AUTHORS INDEPENDENTLY ASSESSED RISK OF BIAS USING THE RISK OF BIAS TOOL RECOMMENDED BY THE COCHRANE BACK REVIEW GROUP. RESULTS. FIVE RCTS WITH 582 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE QUALITATIVE REVIEW, AND 4 RCTS WITH 545 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE META-ANALYSIS. THERE WAS MODERATE EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS (SMD = -0.37; 95% CI -0.67 TO -0.07; P = 0.02). NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, OR UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS. YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSION. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND MODERATE EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. WHILE MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERPIN THESE RESULTS, YOGA CAN BE PRELIMINARILY RECOMMENDED AS AN ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH MENOPAUSE. 2012 6 2418 40 YOGA AND MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION. WITH INCREASED LIFE EXPECTANCY, TODAY, WOMEN SPEND ONE-THIRD OF THEIR LIFE AFTER MENOPAUSE. THUS MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED TOWARDS PERI- AND POST-MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, HOWEVER, IT HAS ITS OWN LIMITATIONS. THE PRESENT NEED IS TO EXPLORE NEW OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. YOGIC LIFE STYLE IS A WAY OF LIVING WHICH AIMS TO IMPROVE THE BODY, MIND AND DAY TO DAY LIFE OF INDIVIDUALS. THE MOST COMMONLY PERFORMED YOGA PRACTICES ARE POSTURES (ASANA), CONTROLLED BREATHING (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA). YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE HEALTH AND CONTROL AND CURE DISEASES. THE EXACT MECHANISM AS TO HOW YOGA HELPS IN VARIOUS DISEASE STATES IS NOT KNOWN. THERE COULD BE NEURO-HORMONAL PATHWAYS WITH A SELECTIVE EFFECT IN EACH PATHOLOGICAL SITUATION. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE STUDIES THAT HAVE COMBINED THE MANY ASPECTS OF YOGA INTO A GENERAL YOGA SESSION IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE ITS EFFECTS ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY CAN IMPROVE HOT FLUSHES AND NIGHT SWEATS. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT EVEN THE SHORT-TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN DECREASE BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). STUDIES CONCLUDE THAT OUR AGE OLD THERAPY, YOGA, IS FAIRLY EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2010 7 2415 45 YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS-A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE ONLY VERY LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS TRIAL WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK TRADITIONAL HATHA YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED EITHER TO A 12-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION OR TO USUAL CARE. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE [MRS] TOTAL SCORE). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED MRS SUBSCALES, QUALITY OF LIFE (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CANCER THERAPY-BREAST), FATIGUE (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-FATIGUE), DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY (HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE). OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT WEEK 12 AND WEEK 24 AFTER RANDOMIZATION. RESULTS: IN TOTAL, 40 WOMEN (MEAN AGE +/- STANDARD DEVIATION, 49.2 +/- 5.9 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (N = 19) OR TO USUAL CARE (N = 21). WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS COMPARED WITH THE USUAL CARE GROUP AT WEEK 12 (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -5.6; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -9.2 TO -1.9; P = .004) AND AT WEEK 24 (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -4.5; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL, -8.3 TO -0.7; P = .023). AT WEEK 12, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS SOMATOVEGETATIVE, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND UROGENITAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS; LESS FATIGUE; AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE (ALL P < .05). AT WEEK 24, ALL EFFECTS PERSISTED EXCEPT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS REMAINED SIGNIFICANT WHEN ONLY WOMEN WHO WERE RECEIVING ANTIESTROGEN MEDICATION (N = 36) WERE ANALYZED. SIX MINOR ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED IN EACH GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA COMBINED WITH MEDITATION CAN BE CONSIDERED A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. THE EFFECTS SEEM TO PERSIST FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS. 2015 8 2591 49 YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS-A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES: TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. METHODS: MEDLINE (VIA PUBMED), THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND SCOPUS WERE SCREENED THROUGH TO FEBRUARY 21, 2017 FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS TO THOSE OF NO TREATMENT OR ACTIVE COMPARATORS. STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCES (SMD) AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) WERE CALCULATED. TWO AUTHORS INDEPENDENTLY ASSESSED RISK OF BIAS USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS: THIRTEEN RCTS WITH 1306 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. COMPARED WITH NO TREATMENT, YOGA REDUCED TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (SMD=-1.05; 95% CI -1.57 TO -0.53), PSYCHOLOGICAL (SMD=-0.75; 95% CI -1.17 TO -0.34), SOMATIC (SMD=-0.65; 95% CI -1.05 TO -0.25), VASOMOTOR (SMD=-0.76; 95% CI -1.27 TO -0.25), AND UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS (SMD=-0.53; 95% CI -0.81 TO -0.25). COMPARED WITH EXERCISE CONTROLS, ONLY AN EFFECT ON VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS WAS FOUND (SMD=-0.45; 95% CI -0.87 TO -0.04). EFFECTS WERE ROBUST AGAINST SELECTION BIAS, BUT NOT AGAINST DETECTION AND ATTRITION BIAS. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. CONCLUSION: YOGA SEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE AND SAFE FOR REDUCING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. EFFECTS ARE COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF OTHER EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS. 2018 9 876 39 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON REACTION TIME, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WELLNESS SCORE OF PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL DIABETIC PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: YOGIC PRACTICES MAY AID IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) AND REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN THE POPULATION. THE PRESENT STUDY HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON REACTION TIME, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WELLNESS SCORE OF PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL DIABETIC PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 15 PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR TYPE 2 DM WERE RECRUITED AND REACTION TIME AND BIOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS WERE DONE BEFORE AND AFTER A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM COMPRISING OF THREE TIMES A WEEK SESSIONS FOR SIX WEEKS. A POST-INTERVENTION, RETROSPECTIVE WELLNESS QUESTIONNAIRE COMPILED BY ACYTER WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE COMPARATIVE FEELINGS OF THE PATIENTS AFTER THE THERAPY PROGRAM. RESULTS: YOGA TRAINING REDUCED AUDITORY REACTION TIME (ART) FROM RIGHT AS WELL AS LEFT HAND, THE DECREASE BEING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05) FOR ART FROM THE RIGHT HAND. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01) DECREASE IN FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AS WELL AS LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. THE DECREASE IN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND VERY LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN AND INCREASE IN HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN WAS ALSO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). ALL THE LIPID RATIOS SHOWED DESIRABLE IMPROVEMENT WITH A DECREASE (P<0.01) OF TC/HDL AND LDL/HDL RATIOS AND INCREASE (P<0.05) IN THE HDL/LDL RATIO. DISCUSSION OR CONCLUSION: SHORTENING OF RT IMPLIES AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE INFORMATION PROCESSING AND REFLEXES AND IS THE FIRST SUCH REPORT IN DIABETIC PATIENTS. THIS HAS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IS WORTH FURTHER EXPLORATION WITH WIDER, WELL CONTROLLED, RANDOMIZED STUDIES IN THE DIABETIC POPULATION. CHANGES IN BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS MAY BE DUE TO IMPROVED INSULIN SENSITIVITY, DECLINE IN INSULIN RESISTANCE AND INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF THE PANCREATIC B CELLS TO GLUCOSE SIGNALS. YOGA IMPROVED THE 'HEART FRIENDLY' STATUS OF LIPID PROFILE IN OUR SUBJECTS AND AS OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE PERI AND POST-MENOPAUSAL, THE DECREASE IN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PROFILE IS OF GREATER SIGNIFICANCE. A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF STANDARD MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS AND CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY OR INTEGRATIVE THERAPY PROGRAM. 2012 10 1068 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP (N = 104 EACH), AND THOSE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP PRACTICED YOGA FOR 20 WEEKS. THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: THE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SCALE; MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT; MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE; AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX. THE RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA EFFECTIVELY DECREASED MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, WITH THE STRONGEST EFFECTS NOTED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (MEAN +/- STANDARD DEVIATION: 14.98 +/- 7.10), FOLLOWED BY PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (6.11 +/- 2.07). YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AFTER CONTROLLING FOR SOCIAL SUPPORT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, YOGA DID NOT AFFECT SLEEP QUALITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OUR DATA INDICATE THAT YOGA CAN HELP DECREASE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, PARTICULARLY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN, AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. 2022 11 2729 33 YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. GOAL OF WORK: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE LIMITED OPTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HOT FLASHES AND RELATED SYMPTOMS. FURTHER, THERAPIES WIDELY USED TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IN SURVIVORS, SUCH AS TAMOXIFEN, TEND TO INDUCE OR EXACERBATE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. THE AIM OF THIS PRELIMINARY, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN A SAMPLE OF SURVIVORS OF EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER (STAGES IA-IIB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-SEVEN DISEASE-FREE WOMEN EXPERIENCING HOT FLASHES WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE 8-WEEK YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM (GENTLE YOGA POSES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING EXERCISES) OR TO WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DAILY REPORTS OF HOT FLASHES COLLECTED AT BASELINE, POSTTREATMENT, AND 3 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT VIA AN INTERACTIVE TELEPHONE SYSTEM. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY INTENTION TO TREAT. MAIN RESULTS: AT POSTTREATMENT, WOMEN WHO RECEIVED THE YOGA PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENTS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL CONDITION IN HOT-FLASH FREQUENCY, SEVERITY, AND TOTAL SCORES AND IN LEVELS OF JOINT PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SYMPTOM-RELATED BOTHER, AND VIGOR. AT 3 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP, PATIENTS MAINTAINED THEIR TREATMENT GAINS IN HOT FLASHES, JOINT PAIN, FATIGUE, SYMPTOM-RELATED BOTHER, AND VIGOR AND SHOWED ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN NEGATIVE MOOD, RELAXATION, AND ACCEPTANCE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES PROMISING SUPPORT FOR THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR HOT FLASHES AND OTHER MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. 2009 12 1749 35 PILOT STUDY OF INTEGRAL YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMS TO OBTAIN PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR REDUCING SELF-REPORTED MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES IN A RANDOMIZED STUDY INCLUDING AN ATTENTION CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: WE RANDOMIZED 54 LATE PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (2-12 MO OF AMENORRHEA) AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (>12 MO OF AMENORRHEA)--AGED 45 TO 58 YEARS AND WHO EXPERIENCED AT LEAST FOUR HOT FLASHES PER DAY, ON AVERAGE, FOR AT LEAST 4 WEEKS--TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: YOGA, HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION (HW), AND WAIT LIST (WL). YOGA AND HW CLASSES CONSISTED OF WEEKLY 90-MINUTE CLASSES FOR 10 WEEKS. ALL WOMEN COMPLETED DAILY HOT FLASH DIARIES THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL (10 WK) TO TRACK THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLASHES. THE MEAN HOT FLASH INDEX SCORE IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MILD, MODERATE, SEVERE, AND VERY SEVERE HOT FLASHES. RESULTS: HOT FLASH FREQUENCY DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS TIME FOR ALL THREE GROUPS, WITH THE STRONGEST DECLINE OCCURRING DURING THE FIRST WEEK. THERE WAS NO OVERALL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HOT FLASH FREQUENCY DECREASE OVER TIME BY TREATMENT GROUPS, BUT THE YOGA AND HW GROUPS FOLLOWED SIMILAR PATTERNS AND SHOWED GREATER DECREASES THAN THE WL GROUP. ON WEEK 10, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED AN APPROXIMATELY 66% DECREASE IN HOT FLASH FREQUENCY, WOMEN IN THE HW GROUP REPORTED A 63% DECREASE, AND WOMEN IN THE WL GROUP REPORTED A 36% DECREASE. THE HOT FLASH INDEX SHOWED A SIMILAR PATTERN. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN SERVE AS A BEHAVIORAL OPTION FOR REDUCING HOT FLASHES BUT MAY NOT OFFER ANY ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS. 2014 13 2614 52 YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA, QUALITY OF LIFE, FUNCTION, AND HOSPITALIZATION IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, PSYCINFO, AND INDMED WERE SCREENED THROUGH AUGUST 2012. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) COMPARING YOGA TO USUAL CARE OR NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS WERE ANALYZED WHEN THEY ASSESSED SYMPTOMS OR QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. COGNITIVE FUNCTION, SOCIAL FUNCTION, HOSPITALIZATION, AND SAFETY WERE DEFINED AS SECONDARY OUTCOMES. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE RISK OF BIAS TOOL RECOMMENDED BY THE COCHRANE BACK REVIEW GROUP. STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCES (SMD) AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: FIVE RCTS WITH A TOTAL OF 337 PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED; 2 RCTS HAD LOW RISK OF BIAS. TWO RCTS COMPARED YOGA TO USUAL CARE; 1 RCT COMPARED YOGA TO EXERCISE; AND 2 3-ARM RCTS COMPARED YOGA TO USUAL CARE AND EXERCISE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL CARE ON POSITIVE SYMPTOMS (SMD = -0.58; 95% CI -1.52 TO 0.37; P = 0.23), OR NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS (SMD = -0.59; 95% CI -1.87 TO 0.69; P = 0.36). MODERATE EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARED TO USUAL CARE (SMD = 2.28; 95% CI 0.42 TO 4.14; P = 0.02). THESE EFFECTS WERE ONLY PRESENT IN STUDIES WITH HIGH RISK OF BIAS. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON SOCIAL FUNCTION (SMD = 1.20; 95% CI -0.78 TO 3.18; P = 0.23). COMPARING YOGA TO EXERCISE, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON POSITIVE SYMPTOMS (SMD = -0.35; 95% CI -0.75 TO 0.05; P = 0.09), NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS (SMD = -0.28; 95% CI -1.42 TO 0.86; P = 0.63), QUALITY OF LIFE (SMD = 0.17; 95% CI -0.27 TO 0.61; P = 0.45), OR SOCIAL FUNCTION (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI -0.27 TO 0.67; P = 0.41). ONLY 1 RCT REPORTED ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND ONLY MODERATE EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE. AS THESE EFFECTS WERE NOT CLEARLY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM BIAS AND SAFETY OF THE INTERVENTION WAS UNCLEAR, NO RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE REGARDING YOGA AS A ROUTINE INTERVENTION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS. 2013 14 1061 53 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY, PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: YOGA RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION FROM BREAST CANCER PATIENTS, HOWEVER ITS FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY DURING CHEMOTHERAPY REMAINS CONFLICTING. WE PERFORMED THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY, PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY. METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO RETRIEVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) WHICH INVESTIGATED THE COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF YOGA VERSUS COMPARATORS SUCH AS USUAL CARE AMONG BREAST CANCER PATIENTS FOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY, PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN PUBMED, EMBASE, COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS (CNETRAL), NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH LITERATURE (CINAHL), CHINESE BIOMEDICAL LITERATURE (CBM) DATABASE, CHINA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL (CSTJ) DATABASE, CHINA NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE INFRASTRUCTURE (CNKI), AND WANGFANG DATABASE FROM INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 2018. THE LATEST SEARCH WAS UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2020. ALL ANALYSES WERE COMPLETED USING REVMAN VERSION 5.3. RESULTS: SEVEN TRIALS INVOLVING 693 BREAST CANCER PATIENTS MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. META-ANALYSIS INDICATED A SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENT IN FATIGUE [STANDARD MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD), -0.62; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI), -1.17 TO -0.07], SLEEP DISTURBANCE (SMD, -0.34; 95% CI, -0.55 TO -0.12), DEPRESSION (SMD, -0.50; 95% CI, -0.70 TO -0.31) ANXIETY (SMD, -0.50; 95% CI, -0.70 TO -0.31), AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) (SMD, 0.72; 95% CI, -0.12 TO 1.56) IN THE YOGA GROUP; HOWEVER BENEFICIAL MEDIUM- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS IN FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE WERE NOT IDENTIFIED. MOREOVER, QUALITATIVE ANALYSES SUGGESTED THAT YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED ADVERSE EVENTS (AES) COMPARED WITH CONTROL GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BENEFIT TO REDUCE FATIGUE, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, IMPROVE SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND IMPROVE QOL IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE SHORT-TERM; HOWEVER, MEDIUM- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS SHOULD BE FURTHER ESTABLISHED OWING TO LIMITATIONS. 2021 15 2629 68 YOGA FOR THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. BACKGROUND: A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE AND STRESS ARE MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). SINCE YOGA INVOLVES EXERCISE AND IS THOUGHT TO HELP IN STRESS REDUCTION IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY IN THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CVD. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ANY TYPE OF YOGA ON THE PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CVD. SEARCH METHODS: WE SEARCHED THE FOLLOWING ELECTRONIC DATABASES: THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS (CENTRAL) (2013, ISSUE 11) IN THE COCHRANE LIBRARY; MEDLINE (OVID) (1946 TO NOVEMBER WEEK 3 2013); EMBASE CLASSIC + EMBASE (OVID) (1947 TO 2013 WEEK 48); WEB OF SCIENCE (THOMSON REUTERS) (1970 TO 4 DECEMBER 2013); DATABASE OF ABSTRACTS OF REVIEWS OF EFFECTS (DARE), HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT DATABASE AND HEALTH ECONOMICS EVALUATIONS DATABASE (ISSUE 4 OF 4, 2013) IN THE COCHRANE LIBRARY. WE ALSO SEARCHED A NUMBER OF ASIAN DATABASES AND THE ALLIED AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASE (AMED) (INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 2012). WE SEARCHED TRIAL REGISTERS AND REFERENCE LISTS OF REVIEWS AND ARTICLES, AND APPROACHED EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. WE APPLIED NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. SELECTION CRITERIA: RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS LASTING AT LEAST THREE MONTHS INVOLVING HEALTHY ADULTS OR THOSE AT HIGH RISK OF CVD. TRIALS EXAMINED ANY TYPE OF YOGA AND THE COMPARISON GROUP WAS NO INTERVENTION OR MINIMAL INTERVENTION. OUTCOMES OF INTEREST WERE CLINICAL CVD EVENTS AND MAJOR CVD RISK FACTORS. WE DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TRIALS THAT INVOLVED MULTIFACTORIAL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS OR WEIGHT LOSS. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: TWO AUTHORS INDEPENDENTLY SELECTED TRIALS FOR INCLUSION, EXTRACTED DATA AND ASSESSED THE RISK OF BIAS. MAIN RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED 11 TRIALS (800 PARTICIPANTS) AND TWO ONGOING STUDIES. STYLE AND DURATION OF YOGA DIFFERED BETWEEN TRIALS. HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED TO THE STUDIES WERE AT HIGH RISK OF CVD. MOST OF STUDIES WERE AT RISK OF PERFORMANCE BIAS, WITH INADEQUATE DETAILS REPORTED IN MANY OF THEM TO JUDGE THE RISK OF SELECTION BIAS.NO STUDY REPORTED CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY, ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY OR NON-FATAL EVENTS, AND MOST STUDIES WERE SMALL AND SHORT-TERM. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL HETEROGENEITY BETWEEN STUDIES MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COMBINE STUDIES STATISTICALLY FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. YOGA WAS FOUND TO PRODUCE REDUCTIONS IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD) -2.90 MMHG, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) -4.52 TO -1.28), WHICH WAS STABLE ON SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS, TRIGLYCERIDES (MD -0.27 MMOL/L, 95% CI -0.44 TO -0.11) AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL (MD 0.08 MMOL/L, 95% CI 0.02 TO 0.14). HOWEVER, THE CONTRIBUTING STUDIES WERE SMALL, SHORT-TERM AND AT UNCLEAR OR HIGH RISK OF BIAS. THERE WAS NO CLEAR EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS FOR LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL (MD -0.09 MMOL/L, 95% CI -0.48 TO 0.30), ALTHOUGH THERE WAS MODERATE STATISTICAL HETEROGENEITY. ADVERSE EVENTS, OCCURRENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AND COSTS WERE NOT REPORTED IN ANY OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES. QUALITY OF LIFE WAS MEASURED IN THREE TRIALS BUT THE RESULTS WERE INCONCLUSIVE. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: THE LIMITED EVIDENCE COMES FROM SMALL, SHORT-TERM, LOW-QUALITY STUDIES. THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS FAVOURABLE EFFECTS ON DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, HDL CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES, AND UNCERTAIN EFFECTS ON LDL CHOLESTEROL. THESE RESULTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS EXPLORATORY AND INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION. 2014 16 1054 50 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHRONIC NECK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND META-ANALYZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING CHRONIC NECK PAIN. METHODS: PUBMED/MEDLINE, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, SCOPUS, AND INDMED WERE SCREENED THROUGH JANUARY 2017 FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ASSESSING NECK PAIN INTENSITY AND/OR NECK PAIN-RELATED DISABILITY IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN PATIENTS. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED QUALITY OF LIFE, MOOD, AND SAFETY. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE TOOL. RESULTS: THREE STUDIES ON 188 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC NECK PAIN COMPARING YOGA TO USUAL CARE WERE INCLUDED. TWO STUDIES HAD OVERALL LOW RISK OF BIAS; AND ONE HAD HIGH OR UNCLEAR RISK OF BIAS FOR SEVERAL DOMAINS. EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS WAS FOUND FOR NECK PAIN INTENSITY (STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) = -1.28; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) = -1.18, -0.75; P < 0.001), NECK PAIN-RELATED DISABILITY (SMD = -0.97; 95% CI = -1.44, -0.50; P < 0.001), QUALITY OF LIFE (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.197; P = 0.005), AND MOOD (SMD = -1.02; 95% CI = -1.38, -0.65; P < 0.001). EFFECTS WERE ROBUST AGAINST POTENTIAL METHODOLOGICAL BIAS AND DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN DIFFERENT INTERVENTION SUBGROUPS. IN THE TWO STUDIES THAT INCLUDED SAFETY DATA, NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSION: YOGA HAS SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON CHRONIC NECK PAIN, ITS RELATED DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MOOD SUGGESTING THAT YOGA MIGHT BE A GOOD TREATMENT OPTION. 2017 17 2546 60 YOGA FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: MANY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS USE YOGA TO COPE WITH THEIR DISEASE. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND META-ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. METHODS: MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, EMBASE, CAMBASE, AND THE COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SCREENED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2012. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) COMPARING YOGA TO CONTROLS WERE ANALYZED WHEN THEY ASSESSED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS OR SURVIVORS. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCES (SMD) AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: TWELVE RCTS WITH A TOTAL OF 742 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. SEVEN RCTS COMPARED YOGA TO NO TREATMENT; 3 RCTS COMPARED YOGA TO SUPPORTIVE THERAPY; 1 RCT COMPARED YOGA TO HEALTH EDUCATION; AND 1 RCT COMPARED A COMBINATION OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AND YOGA TO PHYSIOTHERAPY ALONE. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON GLOBAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SMD = 0.62 [95% CI: 0.04 TO 1.21]; P = 0.04), FUNCTIONAL (SMD = 0.30 [95% CI: 0.03 TO 0.57), SOCIAL (SMD = 0.29 [95% CI: 0.08 TO 0.50]; P < 0.01), AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING (SMD = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.08; 0.74]; P = 0.01). THESE EFFECTS WERE, HOWEVER, ONLY PRESENT IN STUDIES WITH UNCLEAR OR HIGH RISK OF SELECTION BIAS. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH ALSO WERE FOUND: ANXIETY (SMD = -1.51 [95% CI: -2.47; -0.55]; P < 0.01), DEPRESSION (SMD = -1.59 [95% CI: -2.68 TO -0.51]; P < 0.01), PERCEIVED STRESS (SMD = -1.14 [95% CI:-2.16; -0.12]; P = 0.03), AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS (SMD = -0.86 [95% CI:-1.50; -0.22]; P < 0.01). SUBGROUP ANALYSES REVEALED EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY ONLY FOR YOGA DURING ACTIVE CANCER TREATMENT BUT NOT AFTER COMPLETION OF ACTIVE TREATMENT. CONCLUSIONS: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE COULD NOT BE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED FROM BIAS. YOGA CAN BE RECOMMENDED AS AN INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH DURING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. 2012 18 1223 40 FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF HOT FLUSHES: A PILOT TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF HOT FLUSHES IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. METHODS: A PILOT TRIAL IN 14 POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN EXPERIENCING > OR =4 MODERATE TO SEVERE HOT FLUSHES PER DAY OR > OR =30 MODERATE TO SEVERE HOT FLUSHES PER WEEK. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF EIGHT RESTORATIVE YOGA POSES TAUGHT IN A 3-H INTRODUCTORY SESSION AND 8 WEEKLY 90-MIN SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, SUBJECT RETENTION AND ADHERENCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED BY SUBJECT INTERVIEW AND QUESTIONNAIRES. EFFICACY MEASURES INCLUDED CHANGE IN FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLUSHES AS RECORDED ON A 7-DAY DIARY. RESULTS: RECRUITMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS PLANNED. THE MAJORITY OF STUDY SUBJECTS (93%) COMPLETED THE TRIAL. OF THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE TRIAL, 92% ATTENDED SEVEN OR MORE OF THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. THE MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE STUDY AND 75% CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER THE STUDY. MEAN NUMBER OF HOT FLUSHES PER WEEK DECREASED BY 30.8% (95% CI 15.6-45.9%) AND MEAN HOT FLUSH SCORE DECREASED 34.2% (95% CI 16.0-52.5%) FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 8. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT TRIAL DEMONSTRATES THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO TEACH RESTORATIVE YOGA TO MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THE HIGH RATES OF SUBJECT RETENTION AND SATISFACTION SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS AN ACCEPTABLE INTERVENTION IN THIS POPULATION. OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT A LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO EXPLORE THE EFFICACY OF RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS WOULD BE SAFE AND FEASIBLE. 2007 19 2518 62 YOGA COMPARED TO NON-EXERCISE OR PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISE ON PAIN, DISABILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IS A COMMON AND OFTEN DISABLING MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITION. YOGA HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL CONTROVERSIES ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AT DIFFERENT FOLLOW-UP PERIODS AND COMPARED WITH OTHER PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISES. OBJECTIVE: TO CRITICALLY COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ON PAIN, DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE WITH NON-EXERCISE (E.G. USUAL CARE, EDUCATION), PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISE. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS REGISTERED IN PROSPERO, AND THE REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS CRD42020159865. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) OF ONLINE DATABASES INCLUDED PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS, EMBASE WHICH EVALUATED EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ON PAIN, DISABILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE SEARCHED FROM INCEPTION TIME TO NOVEMBER 1, 2019. STUDIES WERE ELIGIBLE IF THEY ASSESSED AT LEAST ONE IMPORTANT OUTCOME, NAMELY PAIN, BACK-SPECIFIC DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE. THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL WAS USED TO ASSESS THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY OF INCLUDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. THE CONTINUOUS OUTCOMES WERE ANALYZED BY CALCULATING THE MEAN DIFFERENCE (MD) OR STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) WITH 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CI) ACCORDING TO WHETHER COMBINING OUTCOMES MEASURED ON DIFFERENT SCALES OR NOT. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 18 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS META-ANALYSIS. YOGA COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE PAIN AT 4 TO 8 WEEKS (MD = -0.83, 95% CI = -1.19 TO -0.48, P<0.00001, I2 = 0%), 3 MONTHS (MD = -0.43, 95% CI = -0.64 TO -0.23, P<0.0001, I2 = 0%), 6 TO 7 MONTHS (MD = -0.56, 95% CI = -1.02 TO -0.11, P = 0.02, I2 = 50%), AND WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN 12 MONTHS (MD = -0.52, 95% CI = -1.64 TO 0.59, P = 0.36, I2 = 87%) COMPARED WITH NON-EXERCISE. YOGA WAS BETTER THAN NON-EXERCISE ON DISABILITY AT 4 TO 8 WEEKS (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI = -0.51 TO -0.10, P = 0.003, I2 = 0%), 3 MONTHS (SMD = -0.31, 95% CI = -0.45 TO -0.18, P<0.00001, I2 = 30%), 6 MONTHS (SMD = -0.38, 95% CI = -0.53 TO -0.23, P<0.00001, I2 = 0%), 12 MONTHS (SMD = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.54 TO -0.12, P = 0.002, I2 = 9%). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE ON PAIN, DISABILITY COMPARED WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISE GROUP. FURTHERMORE, IT SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A NON-SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE BETWEEN YOGA AND ANY OTHER INTERVENTIONS. CONCLUSION: THIS META-ANALYSIS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FROM VERY LOW TO MODERATE INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN PATIENTS AT DIFFERENT TIME POINTS. YOGA MIGHT DECREASE PAIN FROM SHORT TERM TO INTERMEDIATE TERM AND IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY STATUS FROM SHORT TERM TO LONG TERM COMPARED WITH NON-EXERCISE (E.G. USUAL CARE, EDUCATION). YOGA HAD THE SAME EFFECT ON PAIN AND DISABILITY AS ANY OTHER EXERCISE OR PHYSICAL THERAPY. YOGA MIGHT NOT IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE BASED ON THE RESULT OF A MERGING. 2020 20 2592 49 YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. METHODS: WE SEARCHED THE LITERATURE USING 14 DATABASES FROM THEIR INCEPTION TO JULY 2008 AND INCLUDED ALL TYPES OF CLINICAL STUDIES REGARDLESS OF THEIR DESIGN. THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY OF ALL STUDIES WAS ASSESSED USING A MODIFIED JADAD SCORE. RESULTS: SEVEN STUDIES MET OUR INCLUSION CRITERIA. TWO RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH THOSE OF WALKING OR PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THE META-ANALYSIS OF THESE DATA FAILED TO SHOW SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL COMPLAINTS INCLUDING PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOMATIC, AND VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS. TWO RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS FOUND NO EFFECTS OF YOGA ON TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS COMPARED WITH WAIT-LIST CONTROL OR NO TREATMENT. THE REMAINING STUDIES WERE EITHER NON-RANDOMIZED (N = 1) OR UNCONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS (N = 3). THEY REPORTED FAVORABLE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. THESE DATA COLLECTIVELY SHOW THAT THE RESULTS OF RIGOROUS STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS ARE UNCONVINCING. CONCLUSION: THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFFICIENT TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR MENOPAUSE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THERE ARE SPECIFIC BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR TREATING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2009