Key result
Supervised Suryanamaskar linked to ~264% greater cardiac autonomic neuropathy reversion vs standard care alone.
Why the study?
Cardiac autonomic neuropathy is a common complication of type 2 diabetes with limited non-pharmacologic options.
Does supervised Suryanamaskar improve autonomic function and mental health in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy?
Does supervised Suryanamaskar improve autonomic function and mental health in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy?
Relative Risk: 3.64 (95% CI 1.13–11.73)
Absolute Event Rate: 25.5% vs 7%
p-value: p=0.029
Supervised Suryanamaskar added to standard care significantly improved cardiac autonomic neuropathy reversion and mental health scores in patients with type 2 diabetes.
May increase CAN reversion with supervised Suryanamaskar in T2D; hypothesis-generating and requires confirmation in larger RCTs.
Introduction and Objective: Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), a common complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), has limited non-pharmacologic options. This pilot study assessed whether supervised Suryanamaskar, a yoga-based practice, improves autonomic function, glycemic control, and mental health in T2D with CAN. Methods: This pilot report presents interim findings from a 6-month prospective, real-world study conducted at four centers in India. Eighty adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and confirmed cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) were enrolled between March 2023 and October 2025. Participants were assigned to: (a) intervention group (n=47) receiving supervised Suryanamaskar (5 sessions/week) plus standard care, or (b) control group (n=43) receiving standard care. Both groups continued guideline-based lifestyle management. CAN was assessed using standard autonomic tests; secondary outcomes included HbA1c, lipids, liver enzymes, WHO-QOL BREF, and HADS/BDI scores. Ethics approval and written consent were obtained. Results: Valsalva ratio improved in the intervention group (1.32 ± 0.15 to 1.38 ± 0.17, p=0.081) with no change in controls; E:I ratio increased (1.13 ± 0.08 to 1.17 ± 0.09, p=0.069) in the intervention group but remained unchanged in controls. CAN reversion was seen in 25.5% of the intervention group versus 7% in controls (p=0.029; RR 3.64, 95% CI 1.13-11.73). No significant changes were observed in HbA1c, BP, lipid profile, or liver enzymes; glycemic neutrality was maintained. The intervention group showed significant reductions in HADS (14.1 ± 3.6 to 11.3 ± 3.2, p=0.002) and BDI (18.7 ± 5.2 to 14.5 ± 4.8, p=0.001), with no changes in controls. WHO-QOL BREF scores improved (58.3 ± 7.5 to 61.0 ± 8.1, p=0.058) in the intervention group, though not statistically significant. Conclusion: In this pilot cohort, supervised Suryanamaskar alongside standard care led to modest improvements in autonomic function and significant benefits in mental health, with glycemic stability maintained.
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Samajdar et al. (2026) studied Type 2 diabetes with confirmed cardiac autonomic neuropathy (n=80). Supervised Suryanamaskar plus standard care vs. Standard care was evaluated on Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) reversion (RR 3.64, 95% CI 1.13-11.73, p=0.029). Supervised Suryanamaskar alongside standard care significantly increased cardiac autonomic neuropathy reversion compared to standard care alone (25.5% vs 7.0%; RR 3.64, 95% CI 1.13-11.73, p=0.029).
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