title: Effect of yoga therapy on heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac autonomic function in heart failure.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twelve-week yoga therapy significantly improved the parasympathetic activity and decreased the sympathetic activity in heart failure patients (NYHA I&II).
authors.affiliation: PhD scholar, Department of Physiology, JIPMER , Puducherry- 605006, India .
authors.forename: Bandi Hari
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physiology, JIPMER , Puducherry-605006, India .
authors.forename: Pravati
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.affiliation: Professor & Head of Physiology & Programme Director, ACYTER, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Pal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: G K
authors.affiliation: Senior Professor of Cardiology, Medical Superintendent, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Balachander
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: J
authors.affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, ACYTER, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Jayasettiaseelon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: E
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Cardiology, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Sreekanth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Y
authors.affiliation: Senior Professor & Head of Biochemistry, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Sridhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: M G
authors.affiliation: Additional Professor, Department of Physiology, JIPMER , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Gaur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: G S
keywords: Cardiac failure; Heart rate variability; Yoga