COVID-19-induced Stress in Health-care Workers: Effect of 8-week Common Yoga Protocol on Autonomic Function and
Vivek Kumar Sharma1, Rajesh Kathrotia1, Pradip B Barde1
1Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, PDU Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat, India.
Background:
COVID-19 pandemic posed a huge stress on health-care givers affecting their physical and mental health. Wellness strategies like yoga can improve flexibility, resilience, and outlook.
Aim:
The present study explored the effect of 8-week standard common yoga protocol (CYP) intervention on autonomic functions, emotional stress, oxidative stress, and inflammation markers in the nurse group of health-care givers.
Materials And Methods:
It is a randomized controlled trial where 50 nurses underwent CYP and 50 participated as controls. Anthropometric parameters, cardiovascular parameters, autonomic function including time and frequency domain parameters, biochemical parameters, and psychological stress using the questionnaire were assessed before and after 8-week CYP.
Results:
Total 88 nurses completed the study with 42 and 46 participants, respectively, in the CYP and control groups. CYP intervention resulted in a significant reduction in cardiovascular parameters systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, and rate pressure product (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively), perceived stress score and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale psychological variables of depression, anxiety, and stress, and serum lipid parameters compared to the control group. CYP significantly increased total power, low frequency, high frequency, root mean square of successive differences between adjacent NN intervals, change in successive normal sinus (NN) intervals exceeds 50 ms, and pNN50% (P < 0.001, P = 0.006, P = 0.006, P = 0.039, P < 0.001, and P = 0.013, respectively) suggesting improved resting autonomic modulation and parasympathodominance due to higher vagal efferent activity. There were significant reductions in serum cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6 in both the groups. Serum telomerase significantly reduced (P = 0.024) and total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.036) increased in the CYP group post intervention.
Conclusion:
CYP intervention was beneficial in improving psychophysiological, autonomic, and biochemical profile of the nurse group of health-care workers.
More Related Videos
12:22Mindfulness in Motion MIM: An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention MBI for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement
Published on: July 1, 2015
09:16An Alternative to the Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap
Published on: January 16, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Physiological Foundation of Stress
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Stress Response System
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's...
Psychological Responses to Stress
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
