Effect of Adjunctive Yoga Therapy on Pulmonary Function, Respiratory Muscle Strength, Lung Age, and Glycemic Control in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate respiratory and glycemic outcomes after a 16-week adjunctive yoga program in adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pulmonary impairment; sex- and residence-based descriptions were exploratory. Methods: In a parallel-group randomized trial, 160 adults aged 20–60 years were allocated to yoga plus standard care (n=80) or standard care alone (n=80). Yoga sessions lasted approximately 60 min, 5 days weekly. Outcomes were measured at baseline and 16 weeks. Results: At 16 weeks, forced vital capacity was 2.77±0.57 versus 2.23±0.53 L (unadjusted mean difference [MD], 0.54 L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37–0.72), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 2.39±0.49 versus 1.75±0.48 L (MD, 0.64 L; 95% CI, 0.49–0.79), respectively. Maximum expiratory pressure favored yoga (MD, 4.05 cmH₂O; 95% CI, 1.58–6.52). Glycated hemoglobin was lower (5.60±0.63% versus 6.50±0.52%; MD, −0.90 percentage points; 95% CI, −1.08 to −0.72). The estimated lung-age difference was non-significant (p=0.070). Conclusion: A structured 16-week yoga intervention added to standard medical care was associated with favorable unadjusted differences in pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and glycemic control among adults with T2DM. These findings suggest that yoga could serve as a complementary lifestyle intervention alongside conventional diabetes management.