title: Role of yoga as an adjunctive therapy in patients with neurocardiogenic syncope: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) is a common clinical condition characterized by abrupt cardiovascular autonomic changes resulting in syncope. This is a recurring condition with mixed results from current strategies of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with a diagnosis of NCS were screened and enrolled. All the participants were given a DVD containing yoga videos and were instructed to practice yoga therapy for 60 min, three times a week for 3 consecutive months. Syncope functional status questionnaire score (SFSQS) was administered at the beginning and the end of the study. The subjects were followed for 3 months and underwent repeat tilt table testing at the end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 60 patients screened, 44 subjects were enrolled, 21 in the intervention group and 23 in the control group. Most of the participants were females, and the mean age was 21 ± 3 years. In the intervention group, who finished the yoga regimen, there was a statistically significant improvement from control phase to the intervention phase, in number of episodes of syncope (4 ± 1 vs 1.3 ± 0.7, p < 0.001) and presyncope (4.7 ± 1.5 vs 1.5 ± 0.5, p < 0.001). The mean SFSQS also decreased from 67 ± 7.8 to 29.8 ± 4.6 (p < 0.001). All subjects had positive head up tilt table (HUTT) study at the time of enrollment compared to only six patients at the completion of intervention phase (10/100 vs 6/28 %, p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Yoga therapy can potentially improve the symptoms of presyncope and syncope in young female patients with NCS.
authors: Division of Cardiology, University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
authors: Sampath
authors: S
authors: Gunda
authors: Arun
authors: A
authors: Kanmanthareddy
authors: Donita
authors: D
authors: Atkins
authors: Sudharani
authors: S
authors: Bommana
authors: Rhea
authors: R
authors: Pimentel
authors: Jeanne
authors: J
authors: Drisko
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Dibiase
authors: Salwa
authors: S
authors: Beheiry
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Hao
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Natale
authors: Dhanunjaya
authors: D
authors: Lakkireddy
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018667:Tilt-Table Test; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015013:Yoga; D055815:Young Adult