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Retardation of coronary atherosclerosis with yoga lifestyle intervention
S C Manchanda1, R Narang, K S Reddy
1All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Insights
Yoga lifestyle intervention significantly reduced coronary atherosclerosis progression and increased regression in patients with severe coronary artery disease. This approach improved symptoms and risk factors over one year.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) management lacks objective, angiographic evidence for yoga's benefits.
- Lifestyle modifications are crucial for managing CAD progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of a yoga-based lifestyle intervention in retarding coronary atherosclerotic disease progression.
- To assess the impact of yoga on clinical outcomes and atherosclerosis in CAD patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, randomized controlled trial involving 42 men with angiographically proven CAD.
- Intervention group: yoga, risk factor control, diet, and aerobic exercise.
- Control group: conventional care with risk factor control and AHA Step I diet.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in anginal episodes, improved exercise capacity, and weight loss in the yoga group.
- Greater reduction in total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides compared to controls.
- Less need for revascularization procedures and significant regression of coronary lesions in the yoga group.
Conclusions:
- Yoga lifestyle intervention effectively retards coronary atherosclerosis progression and promotes regression in severe CAD.
- The intervention improves symptomatic status, functional capacity, and cardiovascular risk factors.
- Yoga is a safe and effective complementary therapy for managing coronary artery disease.
Background:
Yoga has potential for benefit for patients with coronary artery disease though objective, angiographic studies are lacking.
Material And Methods:
We evaluated possible role of lifestyle modification incorporating yoga, on retardation of coronary atherosclerotic disease. In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial, 42 men with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were randomized to control (n = 21) and yoga intervention group (n = 21) and were followed for one year. The active group was treated with a user-friendly program consisting of yoga, control of risk factors, diet control and moderate aerobic exercise. The control group was managed by conventional methods i.e. risk factor control and American Heart Association step I diet.
Results:
At one year, the yoga groups showed significant reduction in number of anginal episodes per week, improved exercise capacity and decrease in body weight. Serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels also showed greater reductions as compared with control group. Revascularisation procedures (coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery) were less frequently required in the yoga group (one versus eight patients; relative risk = 5.45; P = 0.01). Coronary angiography repeated at one year showed that significantly more lesions regressed (20% versus 2%) and less lesions progressed (5% versus 37%) in the yoga group (chi-square = 24.9; P < 0.0001). The compliance to the total program was excellent and no side effects were observed.
Conclusion:
Yoga lifestyle intervention retards progression and increases regression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with severe coronary artery disease. It also improves symptomatic status, functional class and risk factor profile.