Hatha yoga and vascular function: Results from cross-sectional and interventional studies.
Author: Hunter SD, Tarumi T, Dhindsa MS, Nualnim N, Tanaka H.
Affiliation:
Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA. Electronic address: stacy.d.hunter@gmail.com.
Conference/Journal: J Bodyw Mov Ther
Date published: 2013 Jul
Other:
Volume ID: 17 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 322-7 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2012.10.009 , Word Count: 169
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hatha yoga on arterial elasticity and endothelial function. First, a cross-sectional study was performed to determine whether yoga practitioners would demonstrate greater arterial compliance and endothelium-dependent vasodilation than their sedentary peers. Second, an intervention study involving 13 sedentary middle-aged and older adults (51 ± 7 years) was performed to determine whether 12 weeks of hatha yoga would elicit increases in arterial compliance and endothelial function. In the cross-sectional study involving a total of 34 subjects, there were no group differences in body fatness, blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, carotid artery compliance or brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Hemoglobin A1c was lower in yoga practitioners than in sedentary adults (P < 0.05). Total cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c decreased after the intervention (P < 0.05) while carotid artery compliance and brachial artery FMD did not change. The results of both cross-sectional and interventional studies indicate that regular practice of hatha yoga is not associated with improvements in vascular functions.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 23768276
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