Yoga benefits in heart failure reported
Among other things, yoga improved exercise tolerance, according to this study from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
First, the details.
- 19 people with chronic heart failure (ranging from mild to marked) were randomly assigned to yoga treatment or standard medical therapy.
And, the results.
- Exercise time and heart work (measured by VO2 peak) significantly improved with yoga vs standard medical care.
- There were statistically significant reductions in serum levels of IL-6 (interleukin-6; pro-inflammatory protein) and hsCRP (C-reactive protein; test for risk of heart attack) and an increase in extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD; detoxification of reactive oxygen species) with yoga.
- Quality of life scores improved 26% with yoga group vs 3% in the standard care group.
The bottom line?
In addition to exercise tolerance, there were improvements in a range of laboratory test, consistent with benefits for the heart.
But it’s a very small group of patients with a range of heart dysfunction, and earlier studies in small groups show inconsistent results here and here.
6/10/08 11:08 JR