1 1011 195 EFFECTS OF NATUROPATHY AND YOGA INTERVENTION ON CD4 COUNT OF THE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY-REPORT FROM A HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS SANATORIUM, PUNE. BACKGROUND: HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION IS ONE OF THE MOST DEBILITATING CONDITIONS WHICH HAVE AFFECTED NEARLY 32 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE. ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) IS THE STANDARD CARE GIVEN TO THE HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. BUT THE PATIENT ADHERENCE TO ART IS FOUND TO BE VERY LESS AS PER PREVIOUS STUDIES. COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IS BECOMING A PILLAR IN THE REHABILITATIVE EFFORTS FOR MANY LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. AIM: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF NATUROPATHY AND YOGA INTERVENTION ON CD4 COUNTS OF HIV PATIENTS. METHODS: NINETY-SIX PATIENTS PREDIAGNOSED AS HIV POSITIVE WERE ENROLLED AFTER OBTAINING WRITTEN CONSENT AND TREATED WITH NATUROPATHY AND YOGA INTERVENTIONS LIKE HYDROTHERAPY, DIET THERAPY, MUD THERAPY, COUNSELING, ETC., FOR VARIOUS DURATIONS AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NATUROPATHY SANATORIUM. THEY WERE GROUPED INTO FOUR GROUPS (G1: 1-7 DAYS, G2: 8-15 DAYS, G3: 16-30 DAYS, G4: >30 DAYS) BASED ON DURATION OF STAY. CD4 COUNT OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WAS RECORDED PRE- AND POST-STAY. RESULTS: ALL ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED USING R PACKAGE VERSION 3.01. DEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE SIGNIFICANCE AT 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL. OF THE 96 PATIENTS, MALE PATIENTS CONSTITUTE 55.2% AND FEMALE PATIENTS 44.8% WITH MEAN AGE 34.74 RECEIVED 1-180 DAYS (MEAN 28.75, STANDARD DEVIATION: 14.16) TREATMENT. SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE CD4 COUNT WAS OBSERVED IN TWO OUT OF THE FOUR GROUPS (G2: P = 0.052, AND G4: P = 0.00038, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSION: AN INCREASING TREND IN THE CD4 COUNT WAS OBSERVED THAT WAS PROPORTIONAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE STAY OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE HIV SANATORIUM. THIS INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFESTYLE CHANGES CAN BRING POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS WHEN USED AS AN ADJUVANT WITH ART CARE. THE LACK OF CONTROL GROUP IS A MAJOR LIMITATION OF THIS STUDY. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO STUDY THE SUBJECTIVE CHANGES IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE, VIRAL LOAD, ETC., HOWEVER, LARGER CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE WARRANTED FOR CONCLUSIVE RESULTS. 2015 2 1664 44 NATUROPATHY AND YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS - A CASE SERIES REPORT. HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) IS AN INFECTION THAT POSES A GREAT THREAT TO BOTH DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. HEALTH FACILITIES OFFERING COMPLEMENTARY CARE, ALONG WITH STANDARD CARE, HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS A USEFUL STRATEGY TO OVERCOME THE BURDEN OF HIV AND PROMOTE QUALITY AND WELLBEING AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). IN THIS REPORT, WE MAKE REFERENCE TO SEVEN PARTICIPANTS DIAGNOSED WITH HIV, WHO UNDERWENT NATUROPATHY AND YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (NYLI), FOR VARYING DURATIONS, AT A SANATORIUM FOR PLWHA. THE CASES SUGGEST THAT NYLI FUNCTIONS AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY THAT COMPLEMENTS STANDARD CARE, IMPROVES ADHERENCE AND PROMOTES HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN HIV AFFILIATED CLINICAL MARKERS, SUCH AS HAEMOGLOBIN, WEIGHT AND CD4+ COUNTS. HOWEVER, FURTHER CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH WARRANTING EVIDENCE. 2019 3 2058 35 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) OFTEN EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH DISEASE MANAGEMENT. THIS META-ANALYSIS EXAMINES THE BENEFITS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG PLWHA. METHODS: INCLUDED WERE STUDIES THAT (A) EVALUATED A YOGA INTERVENTION IN PLWHA; (B) PROVIDED BETWEEN-GROUP OR WITHIN-GROUP CHANGES; AND (C) ASSESSED A PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, OR BIOMEDICAL OUTCOME. RESULTS: SEVEN STUDIES SAMPLING 396 PLWHA (M AGE=42 YEARS, SD=5 YEARS; 40% WOMEN) MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. PLWHA WHO RECEIVED YOGA INTERVENTIONS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS (D+ = 0.80, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI] = 0.53, 1.07), POSITIVE AFFECT (D + = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.98), AND ANXIETY (D+ = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.27, 1.14) COMPARED TO CONTROLS. CONCLUSION: YOGA IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. HOWEVER, THE LITERATURE IS LIMITED BY THE SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF HIV-RELATED OUTCOMES ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2019 4 805 43 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ANTIRETROVIRAL ADHERENCE POSTINCARCERATION IN HIV+ INDIVIDUALS. THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF STRESS ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) ADHERENCE AND THE MANY STRESSORS FACED BY PEOPLE RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION SUPPORT THE NEED FOR STRESS REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT 37 RETURNING CITIZENS LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS RANDOMIZED TO A 12-SESSION WEEKLY YOGA INTERVENTION WOULD EXPERIENCE IMPROVED ART ADHERENCE, LOWER VIRAL LOADS, AND LOWER HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE AS COMPARED TO 36 PEOPLE RANDOMIZED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL (TAU). WE FOUND THAT ART ADHERENCE INCREASED FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND DECREASED FOR TAU PARTICIPANTS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FOR VIRAL LOAD, HEART RATE, OR BLOOD PRESSURE. THE LACK OF STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS MAY BE DUE TO A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND ENROLLMENT OF PEOPLE LARGELY IN HIV TREATMENT. STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES AND PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITING LOW ART ADHERENCE ARE WARRANTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA'S IMPACT. 2020 5 1103 39 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS HYDROTHERAPY TRAINING ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND EXERCISE CAPACITY IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. AIMS: THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA AND HYDROTHERAPY TRAINING HAD AN EQUAL EFFECT ON THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE AND TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS ON EXERCISE CAPACITY, CLINICAL OUTCOMES, AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION BETWEEN AND WITHIN THE TWO GROUPS. METHODS: THE DESIGN WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED NON-INFERIORITY STUDY. A TOTAL OF 40 PATIENTS, 30% WOMEN (MEAN+/-SD AGE 64.9+/-8.9 YEARS) WITH HEART FAILURE WERE RANDOMIZED TO AN INTERVENTION OF 12 WEEKS, EITHER PERFORMING YOGA OR TRAINING WITH HYDROTHERAPY FOR 45-60 MINUTES TWICE A WEEK. EVALUATION AT BASELINE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS INCLUDED SELF-REPORTED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, A SIX-MINUTE WALK TEST, A SIT-TO-STAND TEST, CLINICAL VARIABLES, AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. RESULTS: YOGA AND HYDROTHERAPY HAD AN EQUAL IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE, EXERCISE CAPACITY, CLINICAL OUTCOMES, AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. WITHIN BOTH GROUPS, EXERCISE CAPACITY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED (HYDROTHERAPY P=0.02; YOGA P=0.008) AND SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY DECREASED (HYDROTHERAPY P=0.03; YOGA P=0.01). PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THEIR HEALTH AS RATED BY EQ-VAS ( P=0.004) AND DISEASE-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE DOMAINS SYMPTOM FREQUENCY ( P=0.03), SELF-EFFICACY ( P=0.01), CLINICAL SUMMARY AS A COMBINED MEASURE OF SYMPTOMS AND SOCIAL FACTORS ( P=0.05), AND OVERALL SUMMARY SCORE ( P=0.04). SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION WERE DECREASED IN THIS GROUP ( P=0.005). IN THE HYDROTHERAPY GROUP, LOWER LIMB MUSCLE STRENGTH IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY ( P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY OPTION TO ESTABLISHED FORMS OF EXERCISE TRAINING SUCH AS HYDROTHERAPY FOR IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND MAY DECREASE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE. 2017 6 707 60 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA (IY) ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES AND CD4 COUNTS OF HIV-1 INFECTED PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTED INDIVIDUALS FREQUENTLY SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID DECLINE IN CD4 COUNTS AND WORSENED TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS. YOGA HAS BEEN USED TO REDUCE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND IMPROVE IMMUNITY. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 1-MONTH INTEGRATED YOGA (IY) INTERVENTION ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CD4 COUNTS IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HIV-1 INFECTION. METHODS: FORTY FOUR HIV-1 INFECTED INDIVIDUALS FROM TWO HIV REHABILITATION CENTERS OF MANIPUR STATE OF INDIA WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA (N = 22; 12 MALES) AND CONTROL (N = 22; 14 MALES). YOGA GROUP RECEIVED IY INTERVENTION, WHICH INCLUDED PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANAS), BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, AND MEDITATION. IY SESSIONS WERE GIVEN 60 MIN/DAY, 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 1 MONTH. CONTROL GROUP FOLLOWED DAILY ROUTINE DURING THIS PERIOD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) AND DOSAGES WERE KEPT STABLE DURING THE STUDY. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN AGE, GENDER, EDUCATION, CD4 COUNTS, AND ART STATUS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE WAS USED TO ASSESS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, CD4 COUNTS WERE MEASURED BY FLOW CYTOMETRY BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE - REPEATED MEASURES WAS APPLIED TO ANALYZE THE DATA USING SPSS VERSION 10. RESULTS: WITHIN GROUP COMPARISON SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORES (F [1, 21] =4.19, P < 0.05) AND NON-SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SCORES ALONG WITH NON SIGNIFICANT INCREMENT IN CD4 COUNTS IN THE YOGA GROUP. IN THE CONTROL GROUP, THERE WAS A NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES AND REDUCTION IN CD4 COUNTS. BETWEEN-GROUP COMPARISON REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORES (F [1, 21] =5.64, P < 0.05) AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CD4 COUNTS (F [1, 21] =5.35, P < 0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: ONE MONTH PRACTICE OF IY MAY REDUCE DEPRESSION AND IMPROVE IMMUNITY IN HIV-1 INFECTED ADULTS. 2016 7 1362 47 IMMUNOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFICACY OF MEDITATION/YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (PLWH): A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES OF 19 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. BACKGROUND: AN EXPANDING NUMBER OF MIND-BODY THERAPIES ARE BEING USED TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BURDEN OF PEOPLES LIVING WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV). HOWEVER, THE EFFECTS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND MENTAL HEALTH VARIED AMONG STUDIES. PURPOSE: THIS META-ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED TO SUMMARIZE THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS TO DRAW COMPREHENSIVE CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE PSYCHO-IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFICACY. METHODS: RANDOM-EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO ASSESS THE OUTCOME OF INTEREST. EGGER'S TESTS WERE USED TO IDENTIFY PUBLICATION BIAS. SUBGROUP AND META-REGRESSION WERE USED TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL MODERATORS. THIS REVIEW WAS REGISTERED ON THE PROSPERO DATABASE (CRD42019148118). RESULTS: NINETEEN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH A TOTAL SAMPLE SIZE OF 1,300 WERE INCLUDED IN THIS META-ANALYSIS. REGARDING IMMUNE SYSTEM OUTCOME, MIND-BODY THERAPY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED CD4 T-CELL COUNTS (COHEN'S D = 0.214, P = .027) AND MAINTAINED (0.427, P = .049). IN ADDITION, BASELINE CD4 T-CELL COUNTS AND YEARS SINCE HIV DIAGNOSIS SIGNIFICANTLY MODERATED THE EFFICACY OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES ON CD4 IMPROVEMENT (ALL PS < .001). REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOME, MIND-BODY THERAPY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS (0.422, P < .001; 0.506, P < .001, AND 0.709, P < .001, RESPECTIVELY) WHILE IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE (0.67, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION/YOGA INTERVENTION COULD RESULT IN POTENTIAL BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO IMPROVED CD4 T-CELL COUNTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND AT LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP, WHILE ALSO IMPROVING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THE COST-EFFECTIVE MEDITATION/YOGA INTERVENTION SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO ROUTINE CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH LOWER CD4 BASELINE AND FEWER YEARS SINCE DIAGNOSIS. 2021 8 1885 56 REDUCING THE SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF PANIC DISORDER: THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA IS A HOLISTIC SYSTEM OF DIFFERENT MIND-BODY PRACTICES THAT CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS AND ANXIETY AS WELL AS IMPROVE MOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE. RESEARCH DOCUMENTING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA HAS GROWN PROGRESSIVELY FOR THE PAST DECADES AND NOW INCLUDES CONTROLLED TRIALS ON A VARIETY OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS SUCH AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PANIC DISORDER. OBJECTIVES: THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM PANIC DISORDER. WE AIMED AT OBSERVING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TECHNIQUES ON REDUCING THE SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF PANIC DISORDER (ANXIETY AND AGORAPHOBIA), COMPARED TO A COMBINED INTERVENTION OF YOGA AND PSYCHOTHERAPY. METHOD: TWENTY SUBJECTS PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED WITH PANIC DISORDER WERE SELECTED. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO BOTH EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS: GROUP 1 (G1-YOGA: 10 SUBJECTS) ATTENDED YOGA CLASSES AND GROUP 2 (G2-CBT + YOGA: 10 SUBJECTS) PARTICIPATED IN A COMBINED INTERVENTION OF YOGA PRACTICE FOLLOWED BY A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) SESSION. BOTH INTERVENTIONS OCCURRED WEEKLY FOR 100 MIN AND LASTED 2 MONTHS. SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED TWO TIMES DURING THE STUDY: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST. PSYCHOMETRIC TOOLS INCLUDED THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY (BAI), HAMILTON ANXIETY RATING SCALE (HAM-A), THE PANIC BELIEFS INVENTORY (PBI), AND BODY SENSATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE (BSQ). RESULTS: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN ANXIETY LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH PANIC DISORDER (G1: BAI - P = 0.035, HAM-A - P = 0.000; G2: BAI - P = 0.002, HAM-A - P = 0.000), PANIC-RELATED BELIEFS (G1: PBI - P = 0.000; G2: PBI - P = 0.000) AND PANIC-RELATED BODY SENSATIONS (G1: BSQ - P = 0.000; G2: BSQ - P = 0.000) BOTH IN G1 AND G2. HOWEVER, THE COMBINATION OF YOGA AND CBT (G2) SHOWED EVEN FURTHER REDUCTIONS IN ALL OBSERVED PARAMETERS (MEAN VALUES). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PANIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY FOLLOWING BOTH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND THE COMBINATION OF YOGA AND PSYCHOTHERAPY. WHILE CONTEMPLATIVE TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA PROMOTE A GENERAL CHANGE IN DEALING WITH PRIVATE EVENTS, CBT TEACHES HOW TO MODIFY IRRATIONAL BELIEFS AND SPECIFIC COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS. THE RESULTS OBSERVED IN G2 MIGHT INDICATE THAT THE TECHNIQUES COMPLEMENTED EACH OTHER, INCREASING THE INTERVENTION EFFICACY. THESE FINDINGS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH MANY INVESTIGATIONS FOUND IN THE LITERATURE WHICH OBSERVED IMPROVEMENTS IN DIFFERENT MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS AFTER THE PRACTICE OF CONTEMPLATIVE TECHNIQUES ALONE OR COMBINED TO PSYCHOTHERAPY. FUTURE RESEARCH JOINING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES COULD HELP BETTER ELUCIDATE THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH MIND-BODY PRACTICES WORK TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. 2014 9 1911 25 ROLE OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - A NARRATIVE REVIEW. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS POSED AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN TERMS OF LIMITED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND PROVEN MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE INFECTION. THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON EITHER THE PATHOGEN OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. HOWEVER, EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE HOST IMMUNITY ARE IMPORTANT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DOWNREGULATE THE POTENCY OF THE INFECTIOUS AGENT. WHILE A VACCINE CAN INDUCE SPECIFIC IMMUNITY IN THE HOST, NON-SPECIFIC WAYS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HOST IMMUNITY ARE NEEDED AS WELL. THIS SCENARIO HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN THERAPIES SUCH AS AYURVEDA AND YOGA. THIS REVIEW AIMS AT COLLATING AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON AYURVEDA, YOGA, AND COVID-19. FURTHER, IT DRAWS INFERENCES FROM RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON IMMUNITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPECTIVELY TO APPROXIMATE ITS PROBABLE ROLE IN PROPHYLAXIS AND AS AN ADD-ON MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. 2022 10 1850 26 RAISING BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES: IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING YOGA AND NATUROPATHY AT PRIMARY CARE LEVEL. PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IS A VITAL COMPONENT IN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY. NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCD'S) ARE RISING LIKE A MAJOR THREAT TO HUMAN SURVIVAL, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO ACCOUNT FOR 75% OF THE TOTAL MORTALITY BY 2030. LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES ARE RECKONED AS THE WAY AHEAD. YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, A DRUGLESS SYSTEM OF MEDICINE HAS INTERSECTING PARADIGMS WHICH ADDRESSES ALL PLANES OF HEALTH EFFECTIVELY. YOGA AND NATUROPATHY THROUGH ITS HOLISTIC APPROACH EDUCATE AND MAKE THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH. IT HAS SHOWN ITS EFFICACY IN ALLEVIATING AND PREVENTING VARIOUS NCD'S. A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH SHOULD BE INITIATED, WHICH CAN CHANNELIZE THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY AT THE PRIMARY CARE LEVEL CONSIDERING ITS COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICACY OVER NCD'S. 2020 11 100 27 A PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE STRATEGY FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019. THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) INFECTION CAUSED BY SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-CORONAVIRUS 2 HAS LED TO PROFOUND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IN PARTICULAR, INDIVIDUALS WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OF HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES AND THE ELDERLY ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SUCCUMB TO THIS INFECTION. THE CURRENT COVID-19 EMERGENCY CALLS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AGAINST THIS VIRUS-MEDIATED DISEASE. THERE IS A PLETHORA OF EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE ADD-ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. THERE ARE SOME STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS WELL BUT VERY FEW FOR ACUTE CONDITIONS AND ALMOST NONE FOR THE RAPIDLY SPREADING INFECTIONS RESULTING IN PANDEMICS. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES ON YOGA IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, WE HAVE FORMULATED VERY SIMPLE DOABLE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULES IN THE FORM OF VIDEOS TO BE PRACTICED FOR PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE BY CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND THE ELDERLY. 2020 12 1644 43 MORBIDITY PROFILE OF PATIENTS SEEKING NATUROPATHY AND YOGA TREATMENT IN SOUTH INDIA: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND YOGA AND NATUROPATHY (Y&N) IS ONE OF THE APPROVED COMPLEMENTARY AND TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE PRACTICED IN INDIA. UNLIKE OTHER SYSTEMS, IT IS A DRUGLESS SYSTEM AIMED TO OPTIMIZE AND FACILITATE THE INHERENT ABILITY OF THE HUMAN BODY TO HEAL ITSELF. THERE IS LACK OF LITERATURE ON THE TYPE OF PATIENTS SEEKING YOGA AND NATUROPATHY TREATMENTS IN INDIA. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH AN OBJECTIVE TO ASSESS THE MORBIDITY PROFILE OF THE IN-PATIENTS TREATED IN A NATUROPATHY AND YOGA HOSPITAL. METHODS DESCRIPTIVE STUDY DESIGN BASED ON CLINICAL CASE RECORDS. SIX HUNDRED AND FOUR CASES TREATED AS IN-PATIENTS BETWEEN APRIL 2017 AND JULY 2018 WAS ANALYZED. RESULTS THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE PATIENTS WAS 47.4 (SD +/- 16.1) YEARS, WITH 56% WERE FEMALES AND 44% MALES. ABOUT 50 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MORBIDITY RANGING FROM GENERAL REJUVENATION TO CHRONIC DISEASES HAD BEEN REPORTED. HIGHEST REPORTED DISEASES WERE CHRONIC IN NATURE, WITH HIGHER REPORTING FOR MULTIPLE SYSTEM MORBIDITY, FOLLOWED BY OBESITY, DIABETES MELLITUS, HYPERTENSION, ARTHRITIS, AND BACK PAIN. VARIATIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE MORBIDITIES BASED ON AGE AND GENDER OF THE PATIENTS. THE MEDIAN DURATION OF TREATMENT WAS 8DAYS. CONCLUSIONS PATIENTS SEEK YOGA & NATUROPATHY CARE MAINLY FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS, FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON TREATMENT OUTCOMES, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND TREATMENT SEEKING BEHAVIOR CAN BE EXPLORED FOR THE EFFICACY AND FEASIBILITY OF YOGA & NATUROPATHY CARE IN MANAGING CHRONIC DISEASES. 2020 13 1532 34 IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS IN A PATIENT WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: A CASE STUDY. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH SOME RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THE FORMATION OF PRESSURE ULCERS IS RARE IN PATIENTS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS), SEVERAL PATIENTS HAVE NONETHELESS DEVELOPED THIS PROBLEM. TO DATE, HOWEVER, NO CASE REPORTS IN THE LITERATURE HAVE DESCRIBED PATIENTS WITH ALS WHO DEVELOP ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS. OUTSIDE OF THE ALS LITERATURE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS FREQUENTLY DEVELOP IN WHEELCHAIR USERS AND ALSO IN PATIENTS TREATED IN VARIOUS HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. CASE DESCRIPTION: A PATIENT DIAGNOSED WITH ALS REPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS AFTER CONSISTENT IMMOBILITY FOR 1 YEAR (32 MONTHS AFTER HER ALS DIAGNOSIS). THIS PATIENT, WHO WAS SITTING ON THE WOUNDS, WAS TREATED WITH OINTMENT AND MORPHINE; THE LATTER WAS INEFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING THE PAIN. MOVING THE PATIENT FROM SITTING TO SUPINE, LATERAL, OR SEMILATERAL POSITIONS, EITHER ON THE BED OR WHEELCHAIR, TO SEPARATE THE ULCERS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE CHAIR OR BED WAS DEEMED IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF EXAGGERATION OF OTHER SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND PAIN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY. A NEW METHOD OF POSTURAL ALIGNMENT WAS DEVELOPED TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESSURE ULCER. THIS METHOD, IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY, WHICH USES PROPS TO REPOSITION A PATIENT, ALLEVIATED PAIN AND HEALING OF TWO PRESSURE ULCERS OF THE PATIENT AFTER 3 WEEKS OF STARTING THIS INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH THE ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS WERE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED IN A PATIENT WITH ALS, FURTHER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS POSTURAL ALIGNMENT INTERVENTION IN ALS AND OTHER PATIENT POPULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS. 2015 14 2013 30 SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA: A BREATH OF HOPE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IMPORTANT COUNTER MEASURES TO COMBAT AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PANDEMIC INCLUDE VACCINATION, ANTIVIRAL THERAPY, AND IMMUNOMODULATION THERAPY. VACCINATIONS ARE DISEASE SPECIFIC AND MOREOVER STRAIN SPECIFIC, SO THE PROTECTION PROVIDED IS ALSO SPECIFIC AND LIMITED. ANTIVIRAL THERAPIES ARE COSTLY AND REQUIRE BULK PRODUCTION OF DRUGS, HENCE GLOBALLY THERE IS AN INCREASED INTEREST TOWARD LOW-RISK, COST-EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA AND AYURVEDA TO TACKLE THE INFECTIOUS PANDEMIC, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19). THERE IS CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE ON THE POTENTIAL COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF YOGIC PRACTICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NONCOMMUNICABLE AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. VARIOUS ONLINE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2020. DATABASES EXPLORED WERE MEDLINE, EMBASE, INDIAN CITATION INDEX, PSYCINFO, INDEX MEDICUS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. ALL SEARCH RESULTS WERE SCREENED, AND ARTICLES RELATED TO KEYWORDS SUCH AS COVID-19, YOGA THERAPY, AND SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) WERE SELECTED FOR DATA EXTRACTION. QUALITY OF THE STUDIES INCLUDED WAS EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY, CONTENT VALIDITY, RELEVANCE, BIAS, CREDIBILITY RELATING TO INFORMATION, AND DATA SOURCES. SKY IS A UNIQUE YOGIC PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES SPECIFIC SEQUENTIAL BREATHING TECHNIQUES. IT BALANCES THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THUS CAN ALLEVIATE ANXIETY, ROUTINE STRESS, DEPRESSION, STRESS-RELATED MEDICAL DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS. IT POTENTIATES NATURAL HOST IMMUNE DEFENSES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO TACKLE A PLETHORA OF MICROBIAL INFECTIONS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS THAT SKY CAN OFFER TO THE POPULATION AT LARGE DURING THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 15 1347 34 HYPOXIA IN CNS PATHOLOGIES: EMERGING ROLE OF MIRNA-BASED NEUROTHERAPEUTICS AND YOGA BASED ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES. CELLULAR RESPIRATION IS A VITAL PROCESS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE. ANY CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN DEPRIVATION OF OXYGEN (ALSO TERMED AS HYPOXIA) MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE FUNCTIONING OF TISSUES. BRAIN BEING THE HIGHEST CONSUMER OF OXYGEN IS PRONE TO INCREASED RISK OF HYPOXIA-INDUCED NEUROLOGICAL INSULTS. THIS IN TURN HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MANY DISEASES OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) SUCH AS STROKE, ALZHEIMER'S, ENCEPHALOPATHY ETC. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING ISCHEMIC/HYPOXIC CNS DISEASES, THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROTECTIVE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO AMELIORATE THE AFFECTED NEURONAL CELLS IS MEAGER. THIS HAS AUGMENTED THE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC EVENTS OCCURRING IN THE BRAIN AND IDENTIFY NOVEL AND ALTERNATE TREATMENT MODALITIES FOR SUCH INSULTS. MICRORNA (MIRNAS), SMALL NON-CODING RNA MOLECULES, HAVE RECENTLY EMERGED AS POTENTIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS AS WELL AS TARGETS, UNDER HYPOXIC CONDITIONS. THESE 18-22 NUCLEOTIDE LONG RNA MOLECULES ARE PROFUSELY PRESENT IN BRAIN AND OTHER ORGANS AND FUNCTION AS GENE REGULATORS BY CLEAVING AND SILENCING THE GENE EXPRESSION. IN BRAIN, THESE ARE KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION AND PLASTICITY. THEREFORE, TARGETING MIRNA EXPRESSION REPRESENTS A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO INTERCEDE AGAINST HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC BRAIN INJURY. IN THE FIRST PART OF THIS REVIEW, WE WILL DISCUSS THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES CAUSED AS A RESULT OF HYPOXIA, FOLLOWED BY THE CONTRIBUTION OF HYPOXIA IN THE NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. SECONDLY, WE WILL PROVIDE RECENT UPDATES AND INSIGHTS INTO THE ROLES OF MIRNA IN THE REGULATION OF GENES IN OXYGEN AND GLUCOSE DEPRIVED BRAIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND HOW THESE CAN BE TARGETED AS NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS FOR CNS INJURIES. FINALLY, WE WILL EMPHASIZE ON ALTERNATE BREATHING OR YOGIC INTERVENTIONS TO OVERCOME THE HYPOXIA ASSOCIATED ANOMALIES THAT COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO IMPROVEMENT IN CEREBRAL PERFUSION. 2017 16 827 45 EFFECT OF YOGA ON IMMUNE PARAMETERS, COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG HIV-POSITIVE CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: HIV/AIDS INDIVIDUALS HAVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO IMMUNE SYSTEM, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS (CFS). YOGA IS FOUND TO BE USEFUL IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS. HARDLY, ANY WORK IS REPORTED ON YOGA FOR HIV-POSITIVE ADULTS/ADOLESCENTS. HENCE, THIS STUDY IS IMPORTANT. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON IMMUNE PARAMETERS, CFS, AND QOL OF HIV-POSITIVE CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SINGLE-GROUP, PRE-POST STUDY WITH 4-MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: THE STUDY HAD 18 CHILDREN FROM AN HIV/AIDS REHABILITATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS. CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 RATIO, AND VIRAL LOADS WERE STUDIED. CF TESTS INCLUDED SIX LETTER CANCELLATION TEST, SYMBOL DIGIT MODALITIES TEST, DIGIT-SPAN FORWARD BACKWARD TEST, AND STROOP TESTS. QOL WAS ASSESSED USING PEDSQL-QOL AND FATIGUE QUESTIONNAIRE. DEPRESSION WAS ASSESSED USING CDI2-SR. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: T-TEST AND WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS, AS APPLICABLE. RESULTS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 18 CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS. THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT IN GENERAL HEALTH OF THE PARTICIPANTS. THERE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CD4 CELLS COUNTS (P = 0.039) AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN VIRAL LOAD (P = 0.041). CD4/CD8 RATIO MOVED TO NORMAL RANGE. QOL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. CFS HAD MIXED RESULTS WITH IMPROVED PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE (PP) AND REDUCED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT IN GENERAL HEALTH AND IMMUNE PARAMETERS. WHILE DEPRESSION INCREASED, QOL IMPROVED. CFS SHOWED MIXED RESULTS WITH IMPROVED PP AND REDUCED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS. 2019 17 1568 22 MAINSTREAMING OF AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY WITH THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN INDIA. INDIA HAS A POPULATION OF 1.21 BILLION PEOPLE AND THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC, AND DEMOGRAPHIC HETEROGENEITY. THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY DOCTORS, PER HEAD OF POPULATION. THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION HAS DECIDED TO MAINSTREAM THE AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH) SYSTEM OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINE TO HELP MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THIS SHORTAGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND TO STRENGTHEN THE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF THE HEALTH CARE SERVICE. MULTIPLE INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE A SYSTEMATIC MERGER; HOWEVER, THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS. TO ENSURE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO ALL, POLICY-MAKERS NEED TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE AYUSH SYSTEM AND TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM WITH STRINGENT MONITORING MECHANISMS. 2015 18 2715 45 YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE IN HIV-INFECTED ADULTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS. OBJECTIVE: PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV INFECTION ARE AT INCREASED RISK FOR DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR LOWERING CVD RISK IN HIV INFECTION ARE HIGH PRIORITIES. WE CONDUCTED A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDY TO EVALUATE WHETHER A YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IMPROVES CVD RISK FACTORS, VIROLOGICAL OR IMMUNOLOGICAL STATUS, OR QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN HIV-INFECTED ADULTS RELATIVE TO STANDARD OF CARE TREATMENT IN A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: SIXTY HIV-INFECTED ADULTS WITH MILD-MODERATE CVD RISK WERE ASSIGNED TO 20 WEEKS OF SUPERVISED YOGA PRACTICE OR STANDARD OF CARE TREATMENT. BASELINE AND WEEK 20 MEASURES WERE: 2-H ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST WITH INSULIN MONITORING, BODY COMPOSITION, FASTING SERUM LIPID/LIPOPROTEIN PROFILE, RESTING BLOOD PRESSURES, CD4 T-CELL COUNT AND PLASMA HIV RNA, AND THE MEDICAL OUTCOMES STUDY SHORT FORM (SF)-36 HEALTH-RELATED QOL INVENTORY. RESULTS: RESTING SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES IMPROVED MORE (P=0.04) IN THE YOGA GROUP (-5 +/- 2 AND -3 +/- 1 MMHG, RESPECTIVELY) THAN IN THE STANDARD OF CARE GROUP (+1 +/- 2 AND+2 +/- 2 MMHG, RESPECTIVELY). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO GREATER REDUCTION IN BODY WEIGHT, FAT MASS OR PROATHEROGENIC LIPIDS, OR IMPROVEMENTS IN GLUCOSE TOLERANCE OR OVERALL QOL AFTER YOGA. IMMUNE AND VIROLOGICAL STATUS WAS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED. CONCLUSION: AMONG TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS, YOGA IS A LOW-COST, SIMPLE TO ADMINISTER, NONPHARMACOLOGICAL, POPULAR BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTION THAT CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE IN PRE-HYPERTENSIVE HIV-INFECTED ADULTS WITH MILD-MODERATE CVD RISK FACTORS. 2010 19 924 26 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN EATING DISORDERS - A CASE REPORT. EATING DISORDERS ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES AND ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES. THE USE OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT METHOD IN EATING DISORDERS IS CONTROVERSIAL DISCUSSED. THE INTERVIEWEE WAS A 38 YEAR OLD FEMALE PATIENT SUFFERING ON ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND VARIOUS PSYCHOSOMATIC-PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES IN HER MEDICAL HISTORY. THE PATIENT REPORTED THAT YOGA RECOVERED THE SOUL CONTACT WHICH SHE LOST AND SHE HAD LEARNED TO PERCEIVE AND FEEL HERSELF AGAIN. SHE STATED THAT YOGA HELPED HER TO FIND ACCESS TO HER BODY AND ITS NEEDS AND TO COPE WITH HER TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES. SHE ALSO REPORTED THAT ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED IN RELATION TO HER STOMACH IN THE TREATMENT OF HER ANOREXIA. THE CASE REPORT CONFIRMED THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON EATING DISORDERS. RESEARCH SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL'S CO-MORBIDITIES, AS EATING DISORDERS USUALLY OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH CO-MORBIDITIES. 2019 20 1936 28 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS) ARE A GROUP OF DISORDERS OF THE HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS. CVDS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE. THOUGH YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN CVD PATIENTS, THERE IS A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW REPORTING ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. THUS, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE. AN AGGREGATE OF 603 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM INCEPTION WERE SCREENED AND 85 ARTICLES THAT ARE APPLICABLE WERE REPORTED. THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PLAY A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, DIFFERENT TYPES AND DURATIONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MECHANISMS BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS. THUS, FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS OF THE IMPACTS OF YOGA. 2020