No significant difference was found between yoga and exercise .
Conclusions There is promising evidence of yoga on improving cardio-metabolic health .
Background Yoga , a popular mind-body practice , may produce changes in cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) and metabolic syndrome risk factors .
Iyengar Yoga versus Enhanced Usual Care on Blood Pressure in Patients with Prehypertension to Stage I Hypertension: a Randomized Controlled Trial
The prevalence of prehypertension and Stage 1 hypertension continues to increase despite being amenable to non-pharmacologic interventions . Iyengar yoga ( IY ) has been purported to reduce blood pressure ( BP ) though evidence from r and omized trials is lacking . We conducted a r and omized controlled trial to assess the effects of 12 weeks of IY versus enhanced usual care ( EUC ) ( based on individual dietary adjustment ) on 24-h ambulatory BP in yoga-naïve adults with untreated prehypertension or Stage 1 hypertension . In total , 26 and 31 subjects in the IY and EUC arms , respectively , completed the study . There were no differences in BP between the groups at 6 and 12 weeks . In the EUC group , 24-h systolic BP ( SBP ) , diastolic BP ( DBP ) and mean arterial pressure ( MAP ) significantly decreased by 5 , 3 and 3 mmHg , respectively , from baseline at 6 weeks ( P < .05 ) , but were no longer significant at 12 weeks . In the IY group , 24 h SBP was reduced by 6 mmHg at 12 weeks compared to baseline ( P = .05 ) . 24 h DBP ( P < .01 ) and MAP ( P < .05 ) decreased significantly each by 5 mmHg . No differences were observed in catecholamine or cortisol metabolism to explain the decrease in BP in the IY group at 12 weeks . Twelve weeks of IY produces clinical ly meaningful improvements in 24 h SBP and DBP . Larger studies are needed to establish the long term efficacy , acceptability , utility and potential mechanisms of IY to control BP
No significant difference was found between yoga and exercise .
Conclusions There is promising evidence of yoga on improving cardio-metabolic health .
Background Yoga , a popular mind-body practice , may produce changes in cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) and metabolic syndrome risk factors .