Yoga

BACKGROUND: Hypertension, a chronic medical condition of increased blood pressure, is a serious public health problem. Environmental and genetic risk factors are known to predispose to hypertension. The present study was designed to investigate the association of glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphism with oxidative stress in hypertensive patients and the possible beneficial effect of yoga on them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty (60) hypertensive individuals, between 30 and 60 years of age, were divided into two groups of 30 each. The yoga group was subjected to 50-60 minutes of yogic practices daily for 42 days, while the control group included the remaining 30 age- and sex-matched hypertensive individuals. GST gene polymorphism was analyzed using multiple allele specific polymerase chain reaction, and oxidative stress parameters were assessed biochemically.

RESULTS: Assessment of blood pressure showed a statistically significant though modest reduction (p<0.05) in the yoga group as compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde was observed to be significantly low (p<0.05), while antioxidant capacity in the form of GST showed an increasing trend and ferric-reducing ability of plasma was significantly increased (p<0.05) in the subjects who practiced yoga.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, yoga has been found to decrease blood pressure as well as the levels of oxidative stress in patients with hypertension.