Yoga may complement standard treatment for heart issues: Study

NEW DELHI: Yoga therapy can be used as a complementary treatment in the management of heart failure, new research shows.

Heart failure is a form of cardiovascular disease where the heart muscle is either too weak or too stiff to pump properly, often leading to fluid build-up, shortness of breath and other complications.

According to the study carried out by researchers from the Indian Council for Medical Research at Kasturba Medical College & Hospital, Manipal Academy of Heart Education in Manipal, 75 heart failure patients at a tertiary care centre, who underwent coronary intervention, revascularisation or device therapy within the previous six months to one year were included.

They were divided into two groups, the interventional group with 35 participants (31 men and 4 women) and the non-interventional group with 40 participants (30 men and 10 women). The interventional group received yoga therapy and guideline-directed medical therapy, while the non-interventional group only continued with standard guideline-directed medical therapy. Echocardiographic parameters were compared at various follow-ups to see the impact of yoga therapy on heart failure patients.

The results of the study were presented at the American College of Cardiology Conference in Manila.

Ajit Singh, the study’s lead author, said patients in the intervention group observed improvement in systolic blood pressure and heart rate. “Yoga is a combination of mind-body techniques that can be effectively used to stimulate physical and mental well-being,” Singh said. “This study proves that the addition of yoga therapy to standard medical management of heart failure leads to an improvement in left ventricular systolic function and quality of life in heart patients.”