1 944 138 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 2 2415 46 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 3 2518 48 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 4 2594 39 YOGA FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND METABOLIC SYNDROME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR FOR DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS AND PERFORM A META-ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PARAMETERS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME. METHODS MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS AND INDMED WERE SEARCHED AND SCREENED FROM THEIR INCEPTION THROUGH TO 8 MARCH 2016 FOR RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS ON YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. RISK OF BIAS WAS ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL. RESULTS SEVEN TRIALS WITH A TOTAL OF 794 PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED. NO EFFECTS OF YOGA ON RESOLUTION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, TRIGLYCERIDES, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE WERE FOUND, BUT YOGA WAS SUPERIOR TO USUAL CARE FOR WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (STANDARDISED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) = -0.35; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) = -0.57 TO -0.13; P < 0.01) AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI = -0.51 TO -0.07; P = 0.01). HOWEVER, THESE EFFECTS WERE NOT ROBUST AGAINST SELECTION BIAS. NO INTERVENTION-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. CONCLUSION BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THIS META-ANALYSIS, NO RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE FOR OR AGAINST YOGA IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE THE PARAMETERS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME. DESPITE METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS, AND UNTIL FURTHER RESEARCH IS UNDERTAKEN, YOGA CAN BE PRELIMINARILY CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WHO ARE NOT ADHERING TO CONVENTIONAL FORMS OF EXERCISE. 2016 5 674 51 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 6 691 42 EFFECT OF COMMUNITY-BASED STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM ON HBA1C LEVEL AMONG TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS: AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. CONTEXT: IN VIEW OF THE RISING BURDEN OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) CASES IN INDIA, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE, LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTION CONTROLLING DIABETES THUS PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS. AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAMS ON DIABETES. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONAL STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN AN URBAN RESETTLEMENT COLONY OF DELHI, INDIA. KNOWN DIABETES PATIENTS WITH GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN (HB1AC) >/=6.5% WERE ENROLLED FROM 12 RANDOMLY SELECTED BLOCKS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH A SAMPLE SIZE OF 192 IN EACH INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LISTED CONTROL ARM. THE INTERVENTION WAS STRUCTURED YOGA OF 50 MIN DAILY, 2 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IN A NEARBY PARK AND HEALTH CENTER FOLLOWED BY TWICE A WEEK HOME PRACTICE UP TO THE 3(RD) MONTH. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HBA1C% AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE LIPID PROFILE AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: APER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS WAS DONE. MEAN, STANDARD DEVIATION (SD), AND 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL WERE ESTIMATED. THE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS CONSIDERED FOR 0.05. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OF HB1AC (0.5%, SD = 1.5, P = 0.02), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (11.7 MG/DL, SD = 40.5, P < 0.01), AND LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (3.2 MG/DL, SD = 37.4, P < 0.01) FROM BASELINE TO END LINE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP. THESE CHANGES IN INTERVENTION GROUP WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CHANGE IN THE WAIT-LISTED CONTROL GROUP. THE OTHER VARIABLES DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. CONCLUSIONS: IT REVEALED THAT STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVED GLYCEMIC OUTCOME AND LIPID PROFILE OF INDIVIDUALS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED SETTING. YOGA CAN BE A FEASIBLE STRATEGY TO CONTROL HYPERGLYCEMIA, LIPID LEVELS, AND CAN HELP BETTER CONTROL TYPE 2 DM. 2021 7 881 41 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 8 247 54 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK REDUCTION: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES IS A MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM IN MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING INDIA. YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE TYPE 2 DIABETES PREVENTION STRATEGY IN INDIA, PARTICULARLY GIVEN ITS CULTURAL FAMILIARITY. METHODS: THIS WAS A PARALLEL, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY TO COLLECT FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY DATA ON YOGA FOR DIABETES RISK FACTORS AMONG PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF DIABETES. PRIMARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED: CHANGES IN BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE, INSULIN, INSULIN RESISTANCE, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND CHOLESTEROL. WE ALSO LOOKED AT MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING INCLUDING CHANGES IN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT AND PERCEIVED STRESS. FORTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WITH ELEVATED FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE IN BANGALORE, INDIA WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 21) OR A WALKING CONTROL (N = 20). PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO EITHER ATTEND YOGA CLASSES OR COMPLETE MONITORED WALKING 3-6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS. RANDOMIZATION AND ALLOCATION WAS PERFORMED USING COMPUTER-GENERATED RANDOM NUMBERS AND GROUP ASSIGNMENTS DELIVERED IN SEALED, OPAQUE ENVELOPES GENERATED BY OFF-SITE STUDY STAFF. DATA WERE ANALYZED BASED ON INTENTION TO TREAT. RESULTS: THIS STUDY WAS FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND ADHERENCE. IN ADDITION, YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTIONS IN WEIGHT, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND BMI VERSUS CONTROL (WEIGHT -0.8 +/- 2.1 VS. 1.4 +/- 3.6, P = 0.02; WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE -4.2 +/- 4.8 VS. 0.7 +/- 4.2, P < 0.01; BMI -0.2 +/- 0.8 VS. 0.6 +/- 1.6, P = 0.05). THERE WERE NO BETWEEN GROUP DIFFERENCES IN FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE, INSULIN RESISTANCE OR ANY OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO DIABETES RISK OR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, NEGATIVE AFFECT AND PERCEIVED STRESS IN BOTH THE YOGA INTERVENTION AND WALKING CONTROL OVER THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: AMONG INDIANS WITH ELEVATED FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, WE FOUND THAT PARTICIPATION IN AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WAS FEASIBLE AND RESULTED IN GREATER WEIGHT LOSS AND REDUCTION IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WHEN COMPARED TO A WALKING CONTROL. YOGA OFFERS A PROMISING LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION FOR DECREASING WEIGHT-RELATED TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK FACTORS AND POTENTIALLY INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIED NCT00090506. 2014 9 2834 49 YOGA'S EFFECT ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN A HIGH RISK POPULATION - A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE. BACKGROUND: YOGA CAN REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE AND HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED TO REDUCE INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS). WE AIMED TO ASSESS THE BENEFIT OF TWO YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN A HIGH RISK POPULATION IN PRIMARY CARE. METHODS: ADULT PATIENTS FROM A HEALTH CARE CENTER IN SWEDEN, WITH DIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION, WERE INVITED TO UNDERGO A BASELINE CHECK AT THE HEALTH CARE CENTER. BASELINE CHECK INCLUDED STANDARDIZED BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT, BMI AND WEIGHT CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS, BLOOD SAMPLING (HS-CRP, IL-6, FP-GLUCOSE, HBA1C, CHOLESTEROL, TG, LDL AND HDL) AND A QUESTIONNAIRE ON SELF-RATED QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL-BREF). THERE WERE THREE GROUPS: 1) YOGA CLASS WITH YOGA INSTRUCTOR; 2) YOGA AT HOME; AND 3) A CONTROL GROUP. IN TOTAL, 83 PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED AND MATCHED AT THE GROUP LEVEL FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. A MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS (92 %) WERE ON ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICATION, WHICH THEY WERE REQUESTED NOT TO CHANGE DURING THE STUDY. AFTER 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION, THE ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED AGAIN. RESULTS: WE RECORDED NO EVIDENCE THAT YOGA ALTERED INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS OR METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN OUR STUDY POPULATION. A TOTAL OF 49 PARTICIPANTS (59 %) MET THE CRITERIA FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS PERFORMED IN OUR STUDY DID NOT AFFECT INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS OR METABOLIC RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CVD IN THE STUDY POPULATION OF PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION. FURTHER RANDOMIZED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO ELUCIDATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CVD RISK FACTORS IN THIS PARTICULAR GROUP. TRAIL REGISTRATION: NCT01302535 , FEBRUARY 22, 2011. 2015 10 829 33 EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVES: TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS USING A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED AND INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES TOTAL MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE (MRS) SCORE AND THREE SUBSCALE SCORES (SOMATOVEGETATIVE, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND UROGENITAL) WERE MEASURED ON DAY 1 AND DAY 90 IN THE STUDY GROUP WHICH PERFORMED YOGA (ASANA, PRANAYAM AND MEDITATION) UNDER SUPERVISION FOR THREE MONTHS, AND WERE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP THAT DID NOT PERFORM YOGA. MRS HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO MEASURE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF AGEING WOMEN. IT CONSISTS OF 11 SYMPTOMS AND THREE SUBSCALES. RESULTS: IT WAS OBSERVED THAT ON DAY 1 THE SCORES IN BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE. ON DAY 90, THE SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A REDUCTION IN SCORE ON ALL THE SUBSCALES, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS NOTED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2011 11 521 43 COMPARING YOGA, EXERCISE, AND A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS ONLY MODESTLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE OR A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: A NONPROFIT, INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. PATIENTS: 101 ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVENTION: 12-WEEK SESSIONS OF YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE CLASSES OR A SELF-CARE BOOK. MEASUREMENTS: PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE BACK-RELATED FUNCTIONAL STATUS (MODIFIED 24-POINT ROLAND DISABILITY SCALE) AND "BOTHERSOMENESS" OF PAIN (11-POINT NUMERICAL SCALE). THE PRIMARY TIME POINT WAS 12 WEEKS. CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE 2.5 POINTS ON THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS SCALE AND 1.5 POINTS ON THE BOTHERSOMENESS SCALE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE DAYS OF RESTRICTED ACTIVITY, GENERAL HEALTH STATUS, AND MEDICATION USE. RESULTS: AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR BASELINE VALUES, BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK AND EXERCISE GROUPS AT 12 WEEKS (YOGA VS. BOOK: MEAN DIFFERENCE, -3.4 [95% CI, -5.1 TO - 1.6] [P < 0.001]; YOGA VS. EXERCISE: MEAN DIFFERENCE, -1.8 [CI, -3.5 TO - 0.1] [P = 0.034]). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SYMPTOM BOTHERSOMENESS WERE FOUND BETWEEN ANY 2 GROUPS AT 12 WEEKS; AT 26 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK GROUP WITH RESPECT TO THIS MEASURE (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -2.2 [CI, -3.2 TO - 1.2]; P < 0.001). AT 26 WEEKS, BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK GROUP (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -3.6 [CI, -5.4 TO - 1.8]; P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: PARTICIPANTS IN THIS STUDY WERE FOLLOWED FOR ONLY 26 WEEKS AFTER RANDOMIZATION. ONLY 1 INSTRUCTOR DELIVERED EACH INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR IMPROVING FUNCTION AND REDUCING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, AND THE BENEFITS PERSISTED FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL MONTHS. 2005 12 1853 37 RANDOMISED CLINICAL TRIAL: YOGA VS WRITTEN SELF-CARE ADVICE FOR ULCERATIVE COLITIS. BACKGROUND: PERCEIVED STRESS SEEMS TO BE A RISK FACTOR FOR EXACERBATION OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS. AIMS: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF YOGA FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 77 PATIENTS (75% WOMEN; 45.5 +/- 11.9 YEARS) WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN CLINICAL REMISSION BUT IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA (12 SUPERVISED WEEKLY SESSIONS OF 90 MIN; N = 39) OR WRITTEN SELF-CARE ADVICE (N = 38). PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DISEASE-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE (INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DISEASE ACTIVITY (RACHMILEWITZ CLINICAL ACTIVITY INDEX) AND SAFETY. OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT WEEKS 12 AND 24 BY BLINDED OUTCOME ASSESSORS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DISEASE-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARED TO THE SELF-CARE GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS (DELTA = 14.6; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=2.6-26.7; P = 0.018) AND AFTER 24 WEEKS (DELTA = 16.4; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=2.5-30.3; P = 0.022). TWENTY-ONE AND 12 PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND IN THE SELF-CARE GROUP, RESPECTIVELY, REACHED A CLINICAL RELEVANT INCREASE IN QUALITY OF LIFE AT WEEK 12 (P = 0.048); AND 27 AND 17 PATIENTS AT WEEK 24 (P = 0.030). DISEASE ACTIVITY WAS LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE SELF-CARE GROUP AFTER 24 WEEKS (DELTA = -1.2; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=-0.1-[-2.3]; P = 0.029). THREE AND ONE PATIENT IN THE YOGA GROUP AND IN THE SELF-CARE GROUP, RESPECTIVELY, EXPERIENCED SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS (P = 0.317); AND SEVEN AND EIGHT PATIENTS EXPERIENCED NONSERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS (P = 0.731). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02043600. 2017 13 938 55 EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS) IS A CLUSTERING OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS APPLIED TO PEOPLE WITH METS HAS CONSIDERABLE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON DISEASE PREVENTIVE OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR OF YOGA EXERCISE ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, DYSLIPIDEMIA AND HYPERGLYCEMIA IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS WITH METS. METHODS: ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH METS USING NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION PROGRAM CRITERIA (N = 182; MEAN +/- SD AGE = 56 +/- 9.1) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR CONTROL GROUP. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, MIDWAY, AND ON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND CALORIC INTAKE WERE ASSESSED AND INCLUDED IN THE COVARIATE ANALYSES. RESULTS: A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC COMPONENTS FOR METS WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA INTERVENTION. WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION. A TREND TOWARDS A DECREASE IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWING YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METS. THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE COMPLEMENTARY BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING METS. 2015 14 2660 39 YOGA IN ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. BACKGROUND: YOGA SEEMS TO EXERT ITS EFFECT AGAINST ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION MAINLY THROUGH THE ASSOCIATED BREATHING AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES, AND LESS SO THROUGH YOGA POSTURES. THE GOAL OF THIS TRIAL WAS TO COMPARE THE BLOOD PRESSURE-LOWERING EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS WITH AND WITHOUT YOGA POSTURES IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. METHODS: 75 PATIENTS TAKING MEDICATIONS FOR ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION (72% WOMEN, MEAN AGE 58.7 +/- 9.5 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THREE GROUPS: A YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WITH YOGA POSTURES (25 PATIENTS, OF WHOM 5 DROPPED OUT OF THE TRIAL BEFORE ITS END), A YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WITHOUT YOGA POSTURES (25 PATIENTS, 3 DROPOUTS), AND A WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP (25 PATIENTS, ONE DROPOUT). THE INTERVENTIONS CONSISTED OF 90 MINUTES OF YOGA PRACTICE PER WEEK FOR TWELVE WEEKS. THE DATA COLLECTORS, WHO WERE BLINDED TO THE INTERVENTION RECEIVED, ASSESSED THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES "SYSTOLIC 24-HOUR BLOOD PRESSURE" AND "DIASTOLIC 24-HOUR BLOOD PRESSURE" BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. IN THIS REPORT, WE ALSO PRESENT THE FINDINGS ON SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES, INCLUDING FOLLOW-UP DATA. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SYSTOLIC 24-HOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WITHOUT YOGA POSTURES WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (GROUP DIFFERENCE [DELTA]= -3.8 MMHG; [95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI): (-0.3; -7.4) P = 0.035]); IT WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WITH YOGA POSTURES (DELTA = -3.2 MMHG; 95% CI: [-6.3; -0.8]; P = 0.045). DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS GROUPS. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE ENCOUNTERED IN THE COURSE OF THE TRIAL. CONCLUSION: IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FINDINGS OF EARLIER STUDIES, WE FOUND THAT ONLY YOGA WITHOUT YOGA POSTURES INDUCED A SHORT-TERM LOWERING OF AMBULATORY SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. YOGA IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN PATIENTS TAKING MEDICATIONS FOR ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND THUS CAN BE RECOMMENDED AS AN ADDITIONAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR PERSONS IN THIS CATEGORY. 2018 15 2110 41 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON SLEEP QUALITY AND INSOMNIA IN WOMEN WITH SLEEP PROBLEMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF YOGA OF WOMEN WITH SLEEP PROBLEMS BY PERFORMING A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. METHODS: MEDLINE/PUBMED, CLINICALKEY, SCIENCEDIRECT, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, AND THE COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE, 2019. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS COMPARING YOGA GROUPS WITH CONTROL GROUPS IN WOMEN WITH SLEEP PROBLEMS WERE INCLUDED. TWO REVIEWERS INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED RISK OF BIAS BY USING THE RISK OF BIAS TOOL SUGGESTED BY THE COCHRANE COLLABORATION FOR PROGRAMMING AND CONDUCTING SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES. THE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE WAS SLEEP QUALITY OR THE SEVERITY OF INSOMNIA, WHICH WAS MEASURED USING SUBJECTIVE INSTRUMENTS, SUCH AS THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI), INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX (ISI), OR OBJECTIVE INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS POLYSOMNOGRAPHY, ACTIGRAPHY, AND SAFETY OF THE INTERVENTION. FOR EACH OUTCOME, A STANDARDIZED MEAN DIFFERENCE (SMD) AND CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (CIS) OF 95% WERE DETERMINED. RESULTS: NINETEEN STUDIES IN THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INCLUDED 1832 PARTICIPANTS. THE META-ANALYSIS OF THE COMBINED DATA CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO COMPREHENSIVE META-ANALYSIS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEP (SMD = - 0.327, 95% CI = - 0.506 TO - 0.148, P < 0.001). META-ANALYSES REVEALED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA USING PSQI SCORES IN 16 RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS (RCTS), COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP IN IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY AMONG WOMEN USING PSQI (SMD = - 0.54; 95% CI = - 0.89 TO - 0.19; P = 0.003). HOWEVER, THREE RCTS REVEALED NO EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP IN REDUCING INSOMNIA AMONG WOMEN USING ISI (SMD = - 0.13; 95% CI = - 0.74 TO 0.48; P = 0.69). SEVEN RCTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE FOR EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP IN IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER USING PSQI (SMD = - 0.15; 95% CI = - 0.31 TO 0.01; P = 0.5). FOUR RCTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP IN IMPROVING THE SLEEP QUALITY FOR PERI/POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN USING PSQI (SMD = - 0.31; 95% CI = - 0.95 TO 0.33; P = 0.34). YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS. DISCUSSION: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT YOGA INTERVENTION IN WOMEN CAN BE BENEFICIAL WHEN COMPARED TO NON-ACTIVE CONTROL CONDITIONS IN TERM OF MANAGING SLEEP PROBLEMS. THE MODERATOR ANALYSES SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE NON-BREAST CANCER SUBGROUP AND PARTICIPANTS IN THE NON-PERI/POSTMENOPAUSAL SUBGROUP WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER BENEFITS, WITH A DIRECT CORRELATION OF TOTAL CLASS TIME WITH QUALITY OF SLEEP AMONG OTHER RELATED BENEFITS. 2020 16 959 32 EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON LIPID PROFILES OF DIABETES PATIENTS WITH DYSLIPIDEMIA. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DYSLIPIDEMIA IN PATIENTS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED PARALLEL STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN MEDICAL COLLEGE TRIVANDRUM, KERALA, INDIA. HUNDRED TYPE 2 DIABETICS WITH DYSLIPIDEMIA WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL AND YOGA GROUPS. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS PRESCRIBED ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED YOGA DAILY FOR 1 H DURATION ALONG WITH ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS FOR 3 MONTHS. THE LIPID PROFILES OF BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COMPARED AT THE START AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: AFTER INTERVENTION WITH YOGA FOR A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS THE STUDY GROUP SHOWED A DECREASE IN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES AND LDL, WITH AN IMPROVEMENT IN HDL. CONCLUSION: YOGA, BEING A LIFESTYLE INCORPORATING EXERCISE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING, TARGETS THE ELEVATED LIPID LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES THROUGH INTEGRATED APPROACHES. 2013 17 1180 42 EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. STUDY DESIGN: THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE ASSESSED WITH INTENTION-TO-TREAT AND PER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS. NINETY SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA (N = 43) OR CONTROL GROUP (N = 47) RECEIVING STANDARD MEDICAL CARE. PARTICIPANTS WERE FOLLOWED 6 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE INTERVENTION. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. YOGA SUBJECTS WERE HYPOTHESIZED TO REPORT GREATER REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, DEPRESSION, AND PAIN MEDICATION USAGE THAN CONTROLS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: CLBP IS A MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. PILOT STUDIES OF YOGA AND BACK PAIN HAVE REPORTED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CLINICALLY IMPORTANT OUTCOMES. METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED THROUGH SELF-REFERRAL AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL REFERRALS ACCORDING TO EXPLICIT INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA. YOGA SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN 24 WEEKS OF BIWEEKLY YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR CLBP. OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT 12 (MIDWAY), 24 (IMMEDIATELY AFTER), AND 48 WEEKS (6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP) AFTER THE START OF THE INTERVENTION USING THE OSWESTRY DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE, THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, AND A PAIN MEDICATION-USAGE QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: USING INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WITH REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA (GROUP X TIME), SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND PAIN INTENSITY WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA GROUP WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP AT 24 WEEKS. A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER PROPORTION OF YOGA SUBJECTS ALSO REPORTED CLINICAL IMPROVEMENTS AT BOTH 12 AND 24 WEEKS. IN ADDITION, DEPRESSION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN YOGA SUBJECTS. FURTHERMORE, WHILE A REDUCTION IN PAIN MEDICATION OCCURRED, THIS WAS COMPARABLE IN BOTH GROUPS. WHEN RESULTS WERE ANALYZED USING PER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS, IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED FOR ALL OUTCOMES IN THE YOGA GROUP, INCLUDING AGREATER TREND FOR REDUCED PAIN MEDICATION USAGE. ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY LESS THAN AT 24 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, AND DEPRESSION COMPARED TO STANDARD MEDICAL CARE 6-MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: YOGA IMPROVES FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, AND DEPRESSION IN ADULTS WITH CLBP. THERE WAS ALSO A CLINICALLY IMPORTANT TREND FOR THE YOGA GROUP TO REDUCE THEIR PAIN MEDICATION USAGE COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. 2009 18 933 31 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE WITHOUT AURA: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE EXPLORED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE BUT THERE IS NO DOCUMENTED INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY FOR MIGRAINE MANAGEMENT. OBJECTIVES: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HOLISTIC APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY FOR MIGRAINE TREATMENT COMPARED TO SELF-CARE. DESIGN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINE WITHOUT AURA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA THERAPY OR SELF-CARE GROUP FOR 3 MONTHS. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE HEADACHE FREQUENCY (HEADACHE DIARY), SEVERITY OF MIGRAINE (0-10 NUMERICAL SCALE) AND PAIN COMPONENT (MCGILL PAIN QUESTIONNAIRE). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION (HOSPITAL ANXIETY DEPRESSION SCALE), MEDICATION SCORE. RESULTS: AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR BASELINE VALUES, THE SUBJECTS' COMPLAINTS RELATED TO HEADACHE INTENSITY (P < .001), FREQUENCY (P < .001), PAIN RATING INDEX (P < .001), AFFECTIVE PAIN RATING INDEX (P < .001), TOTAL PAIN RATING INDEX (P < .001), ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES (P < .001), SYMPTOMATIC MEDICATION USE (P < .001) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE SELF-CARE GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN MIGRAINE HEADACHE FREQUENCY AND ASSOCIATED CLINICAL FEATURES, IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH YOGA OVER A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS. FURTHER STUDY OF THIS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE WARRANTED. 2007 19 1104 36 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS SHAM YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN TRE A T I N G TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. THE PRESENT STUDY PROCEEDS IN THE FIELD BY PROVIDING AN ACTIVE CONTROL. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 3 MONTHS OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. FORTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER YOGA (N = 20) OR SHAM YOGA (N = 20) AS A CONTROL. YOGA INCLUDED POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES, AND NONAEROBIC STRETCHING EXERCISE COMPRISED THE CONTROL. SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN MALONDIALDEHYDE, VITAMIN C, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE EVIDENT IN BOTH GROUPS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN REDUCED GLUTATHIONE COMPARED TO CONTROLS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN ANY OTHER OUTCOME VARIABLES. YOGA AND SHAM YOGA HAD IDENTICAL EFFECTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS, GLYCEMIC STATUS, AND ANTHROPOMETRY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. LEVELS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE IMPROVED ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP. THIS RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE CONFIRMED BY LARGER AND SUFFICIENTLY POWERED STUDIES. 2020 20 1041 39 EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON SLEEP AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN ELDERLY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. CONTEXT: YOGA AS A LIFE-STYLE PRACTICE HAS DEMONSTRATED BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. THE ROLE OF YOGA IN THE ELDERLY FOR SUCH BENEFITS MERITS INVESTIGATION. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON QUALITY-OF-LIFE (QOL) AND SLEEP QUALITY IN THE ELDERLY LIVING IN OLD AGE HOMES. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SINGLE BLIND CONTROLLED STUDY WITH BLOCK RANDOMIZATION OF ELDERLY HOMES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 120 SUBJECTS FROM NINE ELDERLY HOMES WERE RANDOMIZED IN TO YOGA GROUP (N=62) AND WAITLIST GROUP (N=58). SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE GIVEN YOGA INTERVENTION DAILY FOR 1 MONTH AND WEEKLY UNTIL 3 MONTHS AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO PRACTICE YOGA WITHOUT SUPERVISION UNTIL FOR 6 MONTHS. SUBJECTS IN WAITLIST GROUP RECEIVED NO INTERVENTION DURING THIS PERIOD. SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED WITH WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL)-BREF FOR MEASURING QOL AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX FOR SLEEP QUALITY IN THE BASELINE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: INDEPENDENT T-TEST AND REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE RESPECTIVELY WAS USED TO MEASURE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUTCOME MEASURES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE STUDY PERIOD. RESULTS: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER OF YEARS OF FORMAL EDUCATION. SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE DOMAINS OF QOL AND TOTAL SLEEP QUALITY AFTER CONTROLLING FOR THE EFFECT OF BASELINE DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. CONCLUSION: YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO IMPROVE THE QOL AND SLEEP QUALITY OF ELDERLY LIVING IN OLD AGE HOMES. THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER STUDIES OVERCOMING THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY TO CONFIRM THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ELDERLY IN QOL AND SLEEP QUALITY. 2013