Cerebro-Haemodynamic Changes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Following Yoga Intervention: A Pilot Study

Cerebral haemodynamics is highly compromised in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). T2DM reduces cerebral blood flow and increases vascular resistance as the duration of the disease increases. Yoga, a holistic method of healing is known to influence cerebral haemodynamics.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an integrated approach of yoga therapy on cerebral haemodynamics in T2DM patients.

Participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into yoga and control groups. The yoga group underwent 14 days of intensive diabetes-specific yoga intervention along with their standard medications, whereas the control group continued with their standard medications alone. A Transcranial Doppler instrument was used to assess the Peak systolic velocity, mean blood flow velocity, end diastolic velocity, pulsatility index, and resistance index of the middle cerebral artery on days 1 and 14.

20 participants (15 male and 5 female) completed the study among which 10 participants were in the yoga group (mean age: 51.0 ± 5.6 years) and the other 10 participants in the control group (mean age: 50.6 ± 4.0 years). With 14 days of yoga intervention in T2DM, both within- and between-subjects effects on cerebral haemodynamic parameters were non-significant. However, an increasing trend in the mean blood flow velocity (P = .07) and a reduction in the resistance index (P = .89) of the middle cerebral artery in the yoga group were noted.

This study suggests that yoga intervention may help improve cerebral haemodynamics in people, although the change was non-significant. This may encourage medical professionals to explore the therapeutic benefits of yoga on vascular and metabolic disorders with a larger sample size and longer duration of intervention.