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Evidence from clinical trials has shown positive effects of yoga on hypothyroidism. To date, there is no review of these studies. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of yoga as a therapeutic intervention for hypothyroidism. PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and Science Direct databases were searched to identify relevant literature. The review included clinical studies that evaluated the effects of yoga on hypothyroidism. Studies that were not conducted inenglish, unavailable, non-experimental, or those that were reviews, case studies, case reports, not based on yoga, involved yoga as a intervention, or included a mixed population were excluded. Eleven studies (n = 516) met the eligibility criteria. Of these, four studies were RCTs, two non-RCTs and five were pretest-posttest studies. The duration of the yoga intervention varied from 1 to 6 months. Most of these studies adopted a combination of suryanamaskar, asana, pranayama and meditation. On quality assessment, one study had a low risk of bias (1 RCT), six studies had a moderate risk of bias (3 RCTs, one non-RCT and two pretest-posttest studies), and four studies had a high risk of bias (1 non-RCT and three pretest-posttest studies). The outcome measures assessed were TSH, T3, T4, and thyroid medication usage, lipid indices, BMI, heart rate variability, pulmonary measures, blood glucose, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, quality of life and sleep. The majority of the studies reported significant improvements in these outcomes following yoga intervention. This systematic review reports evidence for effects of yoga on various outcome measures in hypothyroidism, suggesting its possible role in the management of hypothyroidism. However, there is a need for adequately powered, high-quality RCT studies in the future to draw a definitive conclusion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Yoga and Ayurveda are ancient sciences which emphasize on the cure of disease and the proportion of health. Both sciences are also known to reduce the aging process and are helpful in aging-related disorders., Objective: This study investigates the effects of Yoga and Ayurveda Rasayana combined intervention on cognition among the elderly with mild cognitive impairment., Materials and Methods: Seventy-two elderly persons (average age 63.3 ± 6.44 years) received Ayurveda Rasayana (AR) (n = 23) or Integrated Yoga (IY) (n = 25) or combined (IY plus AR) intervention (n = 24) for eight weeks. AR treatment consisted of Brahmi ghrita, and IY consisted of asana, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation techniques. Executive function, verbal fluency, attention, processing speed, short-term and working memory, and learning and verbal memory were assessed at the baseline and after eight weeks., Results: Within-group analysis shows that there was a significant time main effect (p < 0.05) in all cognitive measures in the three groups (IY, AR, and IY plus AR) except Digit backward test. Bonferroni post hoc test shows a significant difference in pre to post in all variables. In the between-group analysis, there was a substantial group difference for Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test- hits, F (2,69) = 4.376 (P < 0.016), Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Average, F (2,69) = 4.727 (0.012), Digit backward test, F (2,69) = 5.766 (0.005) after eight weeks of intervention., Conclusion: Both Ayurveda Rasayana and Integrated Yoga intervention were found effective in improving cognitive abilities among the elderly with MCI. Combined Ayurveda Rasayana and Yoga intervention significantly improved learning, attention, processing speed, and working memory compared to individual response among elderly persons with MCI., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes significant disability and reduced quality of life. Scientific studies on yoga have revealed its various health benefits in chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases. However, whether yoga is feasible for AS patients or not is not studied. Further, no validated yoga module is available for AS patients., Objective(s): This study intended to develop a yoga module for AS patients and investigated its feasibility of use., Materials and Methods: The study was completed in three stages. In Stage I, six yoga experts prepared a list of 64 yoga practices based on the classical and contemporary yogic literature review. Of these practices, 41 were included in the designed yoga module. In Stage II, 41 experts with a minimum of five years of experience in yoga therapy were invited for yoga module validation. The usefulness of the practices was rated by experts on a 3-point scale (1: not at all useful, 2: moderately useful, and 3: very much useful). The Lawshe content validity ratio (CVR) method was used for the content validity of the yoga module. Practices with a CVR score of > 0.3 were retained in the final yoga module. In Stage III, a certified yoga instructor administered the validated yoga module to 19 AS patients (average age: 35.5 ± 10.7 years) thrice weekly for a month. Feasibility was assessed on the basis of the attrition rate, retention rate, attendance of the participants, and the subjective response on practical sessions using a structured checklist., Results: Of the 41 practices in the module, 31 had a CVR score of > 0.3 and were included in the final yoga module. Of the 25 participants, 19 (76%) completed the study while six dropped out (24%). Nineteen patients reported greater improvement in pain and flexibility. They found yoga relaxing and easy to practice. Most participants (65%) were able to practice a minimum of 30 min/day., Conclusion: The present study offers a validated yoga module consisting of 31 practices for AS patients. The results of the pilot suggested that the module is feasible, acceptable, and easy to practice for AS patients. We recommend that AS patients should practice this yoga module for a minimum of 30 min every day under the supervision of a yoga expert., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)