Yoga as a method for controlling metabolic syndrome symptoms
A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports has revealed that a year-long practice of yoga could benefit individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure by reducing inflammation.
The research, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu of the University of Hong Kong in China, investigated the impact of yoga on cardiometabolic health. Previous studies suggest that yoga may alleviate symptoms of various health conditions, including depression, thyroid problems, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction. However, most of these studies are observational, leaving questions about causality unanswered.
In this study, 97 participants with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure were randomly assigned to either a control group or a yoga group. Participants in the yoga group attended three 1-hour yoga sessions each week for a year. The scientists monitored the patients' sera for adipokines, which are signaling proteins released by fat tissue and influence the immune system's inflammatory response.
The results demonstrated that a year of yoga training decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokine levels in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure. These findings suggest that yoga could help manage metabolic syndrome by modulating adipokines and reducing systemic inflammation.
Dr. Siu commented on the study's results, stating, "These findings help to reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underpins the importance of regular exercise to human health." The study's findings could indicate that yoga may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing inflammation-related risks in this population.
Metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, is estimated to affect approximately 47% of the adult population in the United States. While the precise mechanisms underlying the benefits of yoga are not yet fully understood, the study provides evidence supporting its potential role as a lifestyle intervention for managing metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- The new study suggests that yoga, a practice known for its potential to alleviate various medical conditions like depression and diabetes, could also offer benefits to individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure by modulating adipokines and reducing systemic inflammation.
- The research in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports further highlights the importance of regular fitness and exercise, such as yoga, in managing chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome.
- As metabolic syndrome is linked to conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, affecting about 47% of the adult population in the United States, the study's findings could pave the way for yoga to be considered as a non-pharmacological intervention for reducing inflammation-related risks.
- The study's results also underscore the role of science in understanding the impact of yoga on health and wellness, particularly in the context of metabolic disorders and high-normal blood pressure.
