Yoga beneficial in lowering blood pressure: study

Yoga can reduce blood pressure more effectively than simple stretching when combined with a regular program of physical activity, shows a three-month pilot study which included a Quebec-based researcher. Adding yoga lowered systolic pressure, reduced resting heart rate and improved cardiovascular risk over 10 years, the researchers found. Read: Timing of menopausal hormone therapy important in terms of CVD risks The pilot included 60 patients who had been diagnosed with hypertension or metabolic syndrome. All participants did 30 minutes of aerobic activity five times a week for three months; half of them also did 15 minutes of yoga and the other half 15 minutes of stretching. There were no differences at study entry between subjects in factors such as age, sex, smoking status, body mass index, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or still pulse at rest. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both groups had dropped by the end of the study. However, yoga had reduced systolic pressure (the top number that indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts) by 10 mmHg, compared to only 4 mmHg for stretching. Read: Mindfulness worked as well for anxiety as drug in study Yoga also improved resting pulse and cardiovascular risk over 10 years. "We understand that if mortality and morbidity decrease with yoga in the context of cardiac rehabilitation, then that changes the practice," says Dr. Poirier. The exact mechanism involved remains unclear, but this study demonstrates that the "stretching" component of yoga is not solely responsible for the observed benefits. In addition, the exercises used have been chosen “so that it is applicable and easy for everyone”. Study findings were published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. This article has been translated from its original French and originally appeared on our sister site Profession Santé.

Yoga beneficial in lowering blood pressure: study

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