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Effects of yoga breathing exercises on pulmonary function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: an
Marcos Rojo Rodrigues1, Celso Ricardo Fernandes Carvalho1, Danilo Forghieri Santaella1
1Sports Center, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
Yoga breathing exercises improved pulmonary function in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). These exercises offer a potential benefit for managing respiratory issues in DMD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pulmonology
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive genetic disorder.
- Respiratory failure is a primary cause of premature mortality in children with DMD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of yoga breathing exercises in children with DMD.
- To assess the impact of these exercises on respiratory function in DMD patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, open-label study conducted in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Participants with confirmed DMD performed hatha yoga breathing exercises three times daily for 10 months.
Main Results:
- 26 patients completed the study.
- Significant improvements were observed in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) after 10 months of practice.
Conclusions:
- Yoga breathing exercises demonstrated a positive effect on pulmonary function in children with DMD.
- These findings suggest a potential non-pharmacological intervention for respiratory support in DMD.
Objective:
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children, and children with DMD die prematurely because of respiratory failure. We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of yoga breathing exercises, as well as the effects of those exercises on respiratory function, in such children.
Methods:
This was a prospective open-label study of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of DMD, recruited from among those followed at the neurology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants were taught how to perform hatha yoga breathing exercises and were instructed to perform the exercises three times a day for 10 months.
Results:
Of the 76 patients who entered the study, 35 dropped out and 15 were unable to perform the breathing exercises, 26 having therefore completed the study (mean age, 9.5 ± 2.3 years; body mass index, 18.2 ± 3.8 kg/m(2)). The yoga breathing exercises resulted in a significant increase in FVC (% of predicted: 82.3 ± 18.6% at baseline vs. 90.3 ± 22.5% at 10 months later; p = 0.02) and FEV1 (% of predicted: 83.8 ± 16.6% at baseline vs. 90.1 ± 17.4% at 10 months later; p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
Yoga breathing exercises can improve pulmonary function in patients with DMD.
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