Yoga in Arterial Hypertension.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Integrative Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Arterial hypertension is a significant global health concern.
• Yoga's impact on blood pressure is primarily attributed to breathing and meditation techniques.
• The role of yoga postures in managing hypertension requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the blood pressure-lowering effects of yoga interventions with and without physical postures in patients with arterial hypertension.
• To evaluate the efficacy of yoga as an adjunct therapy for hypertension management.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 75 patients with arterial hypertension on medication.
• Three groups were formed: yoga with postures, yoga without postures, and a waitlist control.
• Interventions involved 90 minutes of weekly yoga practice for 12 weeks, with blinded assessment of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure.

Main Results:

• Yoga without postures significantly reduced systolic 24-hour blood pressure compared to both the control group (Δ = -3.8 mmHg) and the yoga with postures group (Δ = -3.2 mmHg).
• No significant differences were observed in diastolic blood pressure across the groups.
• No serious adverse events were reported during the trial.

Conclusions:

• Yoga, specifically without physical postures, effectively lowers systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
• Yoga is a safe and recommendable complementary treatment for individuals with arterial hypertension.
• Breathing and meditation components of yoga are key to its blood pressure-lowering effects.