Key result
Both fast and slow pranayama significantly reduced perceived stress, but only slow pranayama significantly decreased heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and rate pressure product.
Why the study?
Does fast or slow pranayama improve perceived stress and cardiovascular parameters in young health-care students?
Population
90 young health-care students, age 18-25 years.
Comparison
Supervised fast pranayama or slow pranayama for… vs Control group.
Design
RCT, Randomized to fast pranayama, slow pranayama and control group
Follow-up
12 weeks
Authors
Loading...
Slow pranayama may confer added cardiovascular benefits in young adults; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
RCT (n=90)
Randomized
No
Does fast or slow pranayama improve perceived stress and cardiovascular parameters in young health-care students?
Slow pranayama, but not fast pranayama, significantly improves cardiovascular parameters such as heart rate and diastolic blood pressure in young healthcare students, while both techniques effectively reduce perceived stress.
Sharma et al. (2013) conducted an RCT in Perceived stress in healthy students (n=90). Fast and slow pranayama vs. Control group was evaluated on Perceived stress scale (PSS) and cardiovascular parameters (HR, RR, SBP, DBP, MAP, RPP, Do P). Both fast and slow pranayama significantly reduced perceived stress, but only slow pranayama significantly decreased heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and rate pressure product.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: