title: Application of an integrative yoga therapy programme in cases of essential arterial hypertension in public healthcare.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy of an integrative yoga programme as adjuvant treatment of essential arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  An Integrative yoga programme was conducted during three months in 26 sessions with a group of ten essential arterial hypertension patients at a public health centre. The same number of patients acted as the control group without treatment. The patients were randomly selected and assigned to the groups. All patients filled in the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Smith Relaxation States Inventory 3 (SRSI3) before and after the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, negative affect, symptoms of anxiety and degree of stress could be observed in the study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These positive and promising results confirm the effectiveness of these techniques in the treatment of essential arterial hypertension and suggest possible further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: laura_tolbanos@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tolbaños Roche
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mas Hesse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D015013:Yoga
keywords: Cardiovascular reactivity; Comprehensive yoga program; Essential hypertension; Public health; Stress coping