Search

Background: Obesity is a big challenge all over the world. It is associated with many noncommunicable diseases. Yoga known to be add-on treatment may be effective for obesity control. Aim: To assess the effect of integrated approach of yoga therapy (IAYT) for body composition and quality of sleep in adult obese male. Subjects and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted for 14 weeks on obese male of urban setting. Eighty individuals were randomly divided into two groups, i.e., yoga group (n = 40; age; 40.03 ± 8.74 years, body mass index [BMI] 28.7 ± 2.35 kg/m2) and control group (age; 42.20 ± 12.06 years, BMI 27.70 ± 2.05 kg/m2). The IAYT was imparted to yoga group for 1½ hour for 5 days in a week for 14 weeks. The control group continued their regular activities. The body composition by InBody R20 and sleep quality by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed. Statistical analysis was done for within and between groups using SPSS version 21. The correlation analysis was done on the difference in pre-post values. Results: The results showed that weight (P = 0.004), BMI (P = 0.008), bone mass (P = 0.017), obesity degree (P = 0.005), and mineral mass (P = 0.046) were improved in yoga group and no change in control group (P > 0.05). The global score of PSQI improved (P = 0.017) in yoga group alone. Conclusion: The results indicate the beneficial effects of IAYT on body composition and sleep quality in obese males. The yoga practice may reduce obesity with the improvement in quality of life.

Context: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a significant public health problem that has reached epidemic proportions. Yoga therapy has emerged as one of the complementary and alternative therapies for CLBP. Aim: The present study reports the development, validation, and feasibility of an integrated yoga therapy module (IYTM) for CLBP. Settings and Design: This study was carried out at the SVYASA Yoga University, Bengaluru, South India. The IYTM for CLBP was designed, validated, and later tested for feasibility in patients with CLBP. Materials and Methods: In the first phase, IYTM for CLBP was designed based on the literature review of classical texts and recently published research studies. In the second phase, designed IYTM (26 yoga practices) was validated by thirty subject matter (yoga) experts. Content validity ratio (CVR) was analyzed using Lawshe′s formula. In the third phase, the validated IYTM (20 yoga practices) was tested on 12 patients for pain, disability and perceived stress at baseline and after 1-month of this intervention. Results: A total of 20 yoga practices with CVR ≥0.33 were included, 6 yoga practices with CVR ≤0.33 were excluded from the designed IYTM. The feasibility study with validated IYTM showed significant reduction in numerical pain rating scale (P = 0.02), Oswestry disability scale (P = 0.02), and Perceived Stress Scale (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The designed IYTM was validated by thirty yoga experts and later evaluated on a small sample. This study has shown that the validated IYTM is feasible, had no adverse effects and was useful in alleviating pain, disability, and perceived stress in patients with CLBP. However, randomized control trials with larger sample are needed to strengthen the study.

Introduction: Obesity is a health disorder and increasing all over the world. It is also a cause for many non-communicable diseases. Yoga practice reduces the stress level which may improve the eating habits and help in weight reduction. Aim: To assess the final outcome of the effects after 3 months of the 14 weeks yoga training on obesity of adult male in an urban setting. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial with parallel groups (Yoga and Control groups) on male obese. Total 80 subjects with Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 to 35 kg/cm2 were enrolled and randomized into two equal groups in which 72 subjects (yoga n = 37 and control n=35) completed the trial. Yoga group mean age ± SD was 40.03±8.74 and Control group mean age±SD was 42.20±12.06. A 14 weeks special IAYT (Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy) yoga training was given to the Yoga group and no specific activity was given to Control group. The interim results of this study at 14 weeks were covered in another article which is under process. After the 14 weeks of yoga training the Yoga group was asked to continue the yoga practice for the next 3 months and the Control group was not given any physical activity. The final outcome is covered in this paper. The assessments were anthropometric parameters of body weight (Wt), BMI (Body Mass Index), MAC (Mid-upper Arm Circumferences of left and right arm), WC (Waist Circumference), HC (Hip Circumference), WHR (Waist Hip Ratio), SKF (Skin Fold Thickness) of biceps, triceps, sub scapular, suprailiac and cumulative skin fold thickness value), Percentage body fat based on SKF and Psychological questionnaires of PSS (Perceived Stress Scale) and AAQW (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight related difficulty). Assessments were taken after 3 months of yoga training, for both Yoga and Control groups. Within group, between group and correlation analyses were carried out using SPSS 21. Results: Improvement in anthropometric and psychological parameters such as Wt, Percentage body fat, PSS were observed in the final outcome. Also, some of the improvements such as AAQW score were lost in the final outcome, compared to interim results. Conclusion: The yoga practice is effective for obesity control for adult male in an urban setting.

Introduction: Obesity is a growing global epidemic and cause of non-communicable diseases. Yoga is one of the effective ways to reduce stress which is one of the causes of obesity. Aim: To assess the effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) yoga module on adult male obesity in an urban setting. Materials and Methods: RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) was conducted for 14 weeks on obese male subjects with yoga and control groups. Total number of subjects were 72 and they were randomized into two groups (Yoga n=37, Control n=35). The subjects were from an urban setting of Mumbai and were doing yoga for the first time. Special yoga training of IAYT was given to yoga group for one and half hour for 5 days in a week for 14 weeks. The control group continued regular physical activities and no specific physical activity was given. The assessments were anthropometric parameters of weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), MAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumferences) of Left and Right Arm, Waist Circumference (WC), HC (Hip Circumference), WHR (Waist Hip Ratio), SKF(Skin Fold Thickness of Biceps, Triceps, Sub scapular, suprailiac and cumulative), Percentage body fat based on SKF and Psychological Questionnaires of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and AAQW (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight Related Difficulty). These were taken before and after intervention for both yoga and control groups. Within and between group analysis & correlation of differences from post to pre readings among the variables, were carried out using SPSS 21. Results: The anthropometric and psychological parameters were improved in both the groups but changes were significant in yoga group. Conclusion: Incorporating the IAYT for obese male in urban setting will be effective for obesity treatment and for reducing the obesity related problems.

Intellectual disability (ID) is a public health challenge affecting communities worldwide. ID is characterized by impaired physical and cognitive functioning and less engaged in physical activities. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of adaptive yoga practices on cognitive and motor abilities in the subjects with ID. Sixty-six subjects with mild and moderate IDs were purposively selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups, with 33 subjects in each group. One month of adaptive yoga module was provided to the experimental group. To assess the impact of the yoga intervention, Functional Reach Test (FRT), Wall Toss Test (WTT), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), Sit-Reach Test (SRT), and Six Letter Cancellation Test (SLCT) were administered. The experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement with P < 0.05 across all the parameters, whereas the control group could not observe a significant improvement. Based on the results, this study concludes that "one month of adaptive yoga module" delivered impact and helped to improve the dynamic balance, eye-hand coordination, neuro-motor function, spinal flexibility, and selective attention in ID-afflicted subjects., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Community Medicine.)

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a detrimental noncommunicable disease, which is increasing due to sedentary lifestyle and urbanization in the young population. It is further elevated with risk factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, an increase in triglycerides, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and so on, which manifests as atherosclerotic disease. Yoga-based lifestyle intervention is a noninvasive effective treatment method to control and prevent cardiac risk factors in CAD patients. Yoga has been used in India as a therapeutic method to manage hypertension and other chronic disorders and is fast gaining popularity as an effective means for the alleviation of stress, improvement of fitness, and enhancement of well-being. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of introducing the integrated approach of yoga therapy (IAYT) in a cardiac rehabilitation center in India and understand its usefulness in improving the cardiac function and managing the cardiac risk factors in acute myocardial infarction patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Methods and Design: Cardiac patients were randomized to a yoga-practicing group ( n  = 33) and a control group ( n  = 33). The yoga-practicing group was instructed to attend three supervised IAYT classes 3 days per week for 12 weeks at the hospital yoga center. The control group received standard care that included pharmacologic treatment and the instructions of the cardiologist. The outcome measures were assessed at baseline (T1 = 0) and completion (T2 = 3 months). The primary outcome measure was the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Results: There was no statistically significant difference in LVEF ( U  = 420.500, p value = 0.218) between the two groups. However, the yoga-practicing group showed significant reduction in depression (Cardiac Depression Scale [CDS], U  = 71, p value = 0.0), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale [HAM-A], U  = 128, p value = 0.0), and a significant increase in quality of life (QOL) scores (Duke Activity Status Index [DASI], U  = 146, p value = 0.0; and metabolic equivalents (METs), U  = 136, p value = 0.0) at 3 months compared to control. Overall, the CAD patients practicing yoga showed a favorable profile compared to control individuals on CDS, HAM-A, DASI, and MET outcomes. Control and yoga practicing groups did not differ significantly in the lipid levels. Conclusion: This study indicated that the integration of yoga practice in a cardiac rehabilitation program is feasible and has no added benefit in improving the cardiac function. However, the addition of yoga to cardiac rehabilitation may be beneficial in reducing depression and anxiety and improving QOL in patients.

Sympathetic activation is required for attention. Separate studies have shown that meditation ( a) improves attention and ( b) reduces sympathetic activity. The present study assessed attention with the P300 and sympathetic activity with heart rate variability (HRV). Forty-seven male subjects (group mean age ± SD, 21.6 ± 3.4 years) were assessed in 4 mental states: ( a) random thinking, ( b) nonmeditative focusing, ( c) meditative focusing, and ( d) defocused meditation. These were recorded on 4 consecutive days. HRV, respiration, and P300 event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded before and after the sessions. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by post hoc analysis. HRV showed a significant increase in low-frequency (LF) power, decrease in high-frequency (HF) power and an increase in average heart rate based on the average R-R interval after meditative focusing, compared with before. In contrast, the average heart rate decreased after defocused meditation compared with before. There was a significant increase in the P300 peak amplitude after meditative focusing and defocused meditation, with a reduction in peak latency after defocused meditation. These results suggest that after meditation with focusing, there was sympathetic arousal whereas after defocused meditation, there was a decrease in the average heart rate while participants carried out the P300 auditory oddball task sooner.

Background: Yoga is known to contribute towards cardiovascular health. This paper describes the development of a need-based yoga program which is suitable to be integrated into the cardiac rehabilitation of post-myocardial infarction patients with left ventricular dysfunction., Materials and Methods: Based on the assessment of the need of the patients, literature review, and expert opinion, a yoga module was developed using the qualitative method of inquiry. The program included warm-up exercises, yogic asanas, pranayama, meditation and counseling sessions. A structured questionnaire eliciting comments on the contents was given independently to ten experts working in the field of health and yoga for validation. The final module was derived after incorporating the suggestions of the experts., Results: Using the raters' expertise in cardiology and yoga practice, the practices which constitute the module were optimized. Majority of the experts (raters) agreed with the duration of 1 h training for 1month under supervision as adequate for subsequent practice at home. There was a 0.786 inter-rater reliability estimated using the interclass coefficient (ICC) and 0.789 internal consistency of the questions, measured using Cronbach's alpha. Both values indicate "good" reliability and consistency of the yoga module., Conclusion: The developed yoga module was found to be acceptable. Future randomized control trials will be necessary to validate the effectiveness of this module and if the module demonstrates to be effective by clinical studies, it may add a therapeutic option in the rehabilitation of patients with heart failure following myocardial infarction, which can be applied in the hospitals and community level., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM] is one of the leading causes for mortality. This study examined the role of an self-awareness based guided meditation practice, Cyclic Meditation [CM] on perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep and quality of life in T2DM patients. Design A single arm pre-post design was used for the study. Setting The study was conducted in an auditorium for general public diagnosed with T2DM in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. Subjects Subjects were 30 T2DM patients, both male and female of age 50.12 ± 11.15 years and BMI 25.14 ± 4.37 Kg/m2 and not having a history of hospitalisation were randomly recruited for the study following advertisements in national dailies. Intervention Participants completed a supervised CM programs in the evenings, 5 days a week for 4 weeks, in addition to their regular medication. Measures Perceived stress, anxiety and depression were assessed with Perceived Stress Scale, State Anxiety Inventory and Beck's depression inventory, respectively. Sleep and quality of life were assessed with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and WHO-Quality of Life - BREF respectively. Analysis Changes in the outcome measures from baseline to 4 weeks were compared using paired "t" test. Results After 4 weeks, the quality of life and sleep scores increased 7.1% [p = 0.001] and 32.7% [p = 0.001], respectively. The perceived stress, anxiety and depression reduced 26.1% [p = 0.001], 16.01% [p = 0.003] and 37.63% [p = 0.006] as compared to their baseline reports. The CM practice also reduced daytime dysfunction. Conclusions A guided self-awareness based meditation program was safe and effective in improving depression, anxiety, perceived stress and enhance sleep and quality of life in T2DM patients, which could be helpful in reducing the future complications of T2DM. Mind management is essential along with medical management to achieve better clinical results.

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

The auditory sensory pathway has been studied in meditators, using midlatency and short latency auditory evoked potentials. The present study evaluated long latency auditory evoked potentials (LLAEPs) during meditation. Sixty male participants, aged between 18 and 31 years (group mean±SD, 20.5±3.8 years), were assessed in 4 mental states based on descriptions in the traditional texts. They were (a) random thinking, (b) nonmeditative focusing, (c) meditative focusing, and (d) meditation. The order of the sessions was randomly assigned. The LLAEP components studied were P1 (40-60 ms), N1 (75-115 ms), P2 (120-180 ms), and N2 (180-280 ms). For each component, the peak amplitude and peak latency were measured from the prestimulus baseline. There was significant decrease in the peak latency of the P2 component during and after meditation (P<.001; analysis of variance and post hoc analysis with Bonferroni adjustment). The P1, P2, and N2 components showed a significant decrease in peak amplitudes during random thinking (P<.01; P<.001; P<.01, respectively) and nonmeditative focused thinking (P<.01; P<.01; P<.05, respectively). The results suggest that meditation facilitates the processing of information in the auditory association cortex, whereas the number of neurons recruited was smaller in random thinking and non-meditative focused thinking, at the level of the secondary auditory cortex, auditory association cortex and anterior cingulate cortex., (© EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2014.)

Introduction: Diabetes is one of the major health diseases in the world today. The efficacy of Yoga in the management of type 2 diabetes is well-established. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Yoga practitioners in two districts of India (one each in West and South of India)., Methodology: In this cross-sectional field study, 155 Yoga practitioners from Pune and 192 from Ernakulam districts were assessed using the diabetes risk test and fasting blood sugar. The data collected were entered in a statistics software package and analyzed using the Pearson's correlation analysis, t-test, univariate ANOVA, and linear regression to understand the predictors of risk for diabetes., Results: The overall prevalence of diabetes among Yoga practitioners in Central Pune was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.01-0.04]). 18.9% of participants (95% CI: [0.16-0.19]) were diagnosed to be "at risk" for diabetes. In Ernakulam, the overall prevalence of diabetes among practitioners was 26% (95% CI: [0.05-0.06]) with 12% of practitioners (95% CI: [0.05-0.06]) diagnosed to be "at risk" for diabetes (prediabetic). Higher age and lesser duration of Yoga practice were significant predictors of diabetes., Conclusion: It is essential for every person above the age of 40 to undergo regular health check-ups and screening for diabetes and involve oneself in lifestyle modification programs such as Yoga for significantly long duration of time on a daily basis, to better manage diabetes.

Background: The dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased mortality, morbidity as well as public health care expenses worldwide. Previous research suggests that yoga holds promise for obesity and T2DM management., Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of intensive integrated approach of yoga therapy (IAYT) on body fat and body mass index (BMI) and resting metabolism in mid-life overweight patients with T2DM (BMI, Mean ± SD, 27.05 ± 4.51)., Materials and Methods: Twenty-four mid-life patients (6 females) with T2DM (Age, Mean ± SD, 55.38 ± 7.96 years) participated in the study and practiced IAYT for 7 days. The IAYT works at five layers of human existence (physical, vital, mental, intellectual and bliss) to bring positive health. The body fat and BMI and resting metabolism were recorded before and after IAYT using Karada Scan body composition monitor HBF-375 from Omron Healthcare Singapore PTE LTD., Statistical Analysis: SPSS-16 was used to analyze the data. Shapiro-Wilk test showed that the data was not normally distributed. Further, the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test was used to analyze the change in means of pre- and post-measurements., Results: Data analysis showed that there was a significant decrease in body fat and BMI and resting metabolism (in all assessments, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The present study suggests that 7 days practice of IAYT has a great promise for the management of overweight in mid-life patients with T2DM. Additional well-designed studies are needed before a strong recommendation can be made.