Effect of Yoga Therapy on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Cardiac Autonomic Function in Heart Failure

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It is well known that a hall mark of heart failure is adverse changes in autonomic function. Elevated blood pressure is a powerful predictor of congestive heart failure and other Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) outcomes. In this study, we planned to examine the effects of a 12 week yoga therapy on blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and rate pressure product (RPP). METHODS: Out of 130 heart failure patients recruited for the study, 65 patients were randomly selected to receive 12 week yoga therapy along with standard medical therapy (yoga group). Other patients (n=65) received only standard medical therapy (control group). Heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac autonomic function (by short-term heart-rate variability analysis) and myocardial oxygen consumption (by RPP) were assessed before and after 12 weeks. In the yoga group, 44 patients and in the control group, 48 patients completed the study. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and RPP in yoga group compared to control group. Also, LFnu and LF-HF ratio decreased significantly and HFnu increased significantly in yoga group compared to control group. CONCLUSION: Twelve-week yoga therapy significantly improved the parasympathetic activity and decreased the sympathetic activity in heart failure patients (NYHA I&II).