YOGA EXERCISES AND HYPERTENSION

MEDICAL NEWS

Title

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2022.09.019

Adding yoga to aerobic exercises lowers the blood pressure

20/12/2022 by Oyugi Alphonce

Aerobic exercises together with Yoga practice is linked with a greater reduction in blood pressure in patients diagnosed with hypertension, this is according to a study published on 8/12/22 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology

A study, from the Cambridge Cardiac Care Centre in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues randomly assigned 60 individuals with diagnosed hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg for three measurements on different days) to aerobic exercise training (30 minutes five times a week) plus either 15 minutes of yoga or a stretching control for three months. (Pandey, 2022)

It was established that there was a greater decrease in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the yoga group as evidenced below;

(Before versus after yoga 130/77 versus 119/69 mm Hg). And

(Before versus after stretching: 126/76 versus 122/73 mm Hg)

Decreases in glucose, lipids and high-sensitive C-protein levels and Framingham Risk scores were similar between the groups.The yoga group also saw a greater decrease in the Reynolds Risk Score versus the control stretching group (relative reduction, 13.2 versus 9.3 percent).

The above study is of significance because it provides more evidence on the non-pharmacological therapy for treatment of hypertension especially in low resource settings.

As observed in several studies, we recommend that patients try to find exercise and stress relief for the management of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in whatever form they find most appealing. Our study shows that structured yoga practices can be a healthier addition to aerobic exercise than simply muscle stretching." (Pandey, 2022)

References

1. Pandey, A. (2022). Impact of Yoga on Global Cardiovascular risk as an Add-On to Regular exercise Regimen in patients with Hypertension. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 8.