Alternative Therapy: Yoga, the Best in Risk Reduction and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition of abnormal blood pressure, blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist… that can lead to early onset diabetes, cardiovascular disease.

People who participate in yoga classes regularly are likely to have a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a renowned study has suggested.

Yoga, the ancient technique to harmonize the external and internal well-being of the body, through breath control, meditation, body movement and gestures… has been best known to people in the Western world and some parts from Asia due to the health benefits reported by several reputable institutes. ‘ research and supported by health advocates.

According to the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, yoga, a form of physical activity that incorporates psychological components (eg, maintaining focus, relaxation), may render a health benefit by alleviating the risk of metabolic syndrome and improve mental stress and quality of life.

In sixty-seven adults at risk for MetS enrolled (mean age [SD]:58 [10] years; 50% male; 79% non-Hispanic White) in a 12-week yoga program along with an evidence-based health education (HED) program, compared with HED alone, the researchers found that participants in the yoga program along with a Evidence-based health education program (HED) showed a significant 2-fold improvement in quality of life domains in the comparison health education group.

Dr Sohl SJ, the lead author, said, “implemented lifestyle education alongside yoga to assess potential unique effects of yoga in participants at risk for MetS.”

In addition, in a further 12 weeks of yoga lessons of 173 Chinese men and women aged 18 years or older assigned to the yoga intervention group (n = 87) or control group (n = 86), after accounting for other Confounding factors, the investigators indicated that the yoga group showed greater decreases in waist circumference (p<0.001), fasting glucose (p<0.01), triglycerides (p<0.05), and MetS z score, compared to control.

In addition, the yoga group expressed a significant improvement in general health perceptions (p<0.01), physical component score (p<0.01), and social functioning domains score (p<0, 01) of HRQo with no difference in improved systolic/diastolic blood pressure or high-density lipid protein cholesterol in both groups.

Promisingly, the 48-week randomized trial from 2009-2012 comparing restorative yoga vs. stretching among inactive adults with metabolic syndrome at the Universities of California, San Francisco, and San Diego of 180 randomized participants and 135 (75%) completed the trial, at 12 months, suggested that the yoga participants showed magnificent glucose lowering fasting, insulin, and HbA1c and increased HDL cholesterol compared with the stretch group.

Taken together, yoga can be used as physiotherapy to reduce risk and treat metabolic syndrome with greater effect compared to other forms of treatment in the article, but participants should always participate only in classes tailored to their needs.