Yoga May Benefit People With Abnormal Heart Rhythms

Rigorous practice of yoga can help reduce episodes of irregular heartbeat and improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression often associated with atrial fibrillation, a new study has found.

On average, yoga cut patients' episodes of atrial fibrillation in half and significantly improved quality of life, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session.

Previous research has demonstrated the positive impact of yoga on overall heart health, but this is the first study to examine the benefits of yoga specifically on patients with atrial fibrillation.

"The practice of yoga is known to improve many risk factors for heart disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, and stress and inflammation in the body," said Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the Center for Excellence in Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Mid America Cardiology, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas and lead investigator of the study. "There are currently no proven complementary therapies that are known to help decrease the symptoms of atrial fibrillation in a noninvasive fashion with minimal side effects and reasonable safety and efficacy."

In this study, researchers followed 49 patients with atrial fibrillation who had no physical limitations and who were new to the practice of yoga. For three months, participants were permitted to engage in any type of physical activity they were previously accustomed to doing. This was followed by a three-month period during which they participated in a supervised yoga program consisting of breathing exercises, yoga postures, meditation and relaxation. Forty-five-minute yoga sessions were administered by a certified professional three times a week. Participants were also given an educational DVD and encouraged to practice the exercises at home on a daily basis, depending on their comfort levels.

Lakkireddy found that the three-month yoga intervention significantly reduced the number of episodes of irregular heartbeat among atrial fibrillation patients compared with the initial three-month period during which subjects were participating in the physical activity of their choice. Yoga also reduced self-reported depression and anxiety scores and improved quality of life scores in the areas of physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning and mental health.

"These findings are important because many of the current conventional treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation include invasive procedures or medications with undesirable side effects. Success with these therapies varies widely, and they are often only modestly effective in controlling heart rhythm," Lakkireddy said. "It appears yoga has a significant impact on helping to regulate patients' heartbeat and improves their overall quality of life. Any intervention that helps in reducing or controlling the arrhythmia burden in atrial fibrillation can have a huge impact on public health."

Given the low cost, safety and effectiveness of yoga, the authors recommend that it be considered in the overall treatment strategy for atrial fibrillation and other complex heart rhythm disorders.

Comments

[Roberta Quinn]

03:23 AM on 05/05/2011

Yoga is really a good form of body exercise since it generally soothes your system inside and out. I think the root cause of all the body pains that one experiences are all about the anxiety reasons and causes. This is due to the brain's "hyperactivity" when put under pressure that would soon lead to stress, anxiety and sorts of depression. If ever, it wouldn't be surprising at all if yoga would be one of the main treatment methods for almost the general cause of diseases as well as a good form of rejuvenating yourself and relaxation.

[Loren Fishman, MD]

08:05 PM on 04/13/2011

Hey, Mr. Obama! I have an idea about cutting health care costs! Yoga has now been shown to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure) and arhythmias (irregular heart beats) and anxiety. Yoga also relieves back pain, reverses osteoporosis and cures the pain and disability of rotator cuff tear. How do you see this, Mr. Ryan?

[Florence Alunan]

01:57 AM on 04/07/2011

My first noticeable physical effect in doing yoga was increased flexibility. When I first started doing the yoga moves, my back was very inflexible. Mentally, yoga practiced has resulted in a more positive attitude in handling whatever life throws at me. I am grateful for this yoga classes especially that my depression and sadness were uplifted. Then, I also tried doing the Yuen method with Paul (YM practitioner). He cleared all the causes of issues in my life that leads me to have emotional and physical discomfort. So when I do my yoga moves, I don’t have pain anymore and my flexibility got better. Here are some video resources with learning tips that demonstrate the benefits of energy medicine, http://www.chineseenergetics.com/Energy-Medicine/

[Negin Anvar]

05:43 AM on 04/05/2011

I love yoga. Haven't done it in a while. Thanks for the reminder.

[Chuck Bluestein]

07:43 PM on 04/04/2011

Dr Oz has his patients do yoga. It has many benefits for the mind and body. A woman that works with autistic children says that it does wonders for autistic children. Some people say that it has helped their depression..

[besideastillcreek]

02:35 PM on 04/05/2011

My yoga teacher healed her son's asthma through yoga which made her a dedicated teacher. I have a benign irregular heart beat as a result of Hashimoto's thyroid disease yet teach yoga.

I do believe that yoga can help immensely with mild depression especially when used in conjunction with meditation.

[ianmcc]

04:37 PM on 04/04/2011

I'll stick with my Atenolol, thanks.

[Runtime Al]

01:40 PM on 04/04/2011

It worked for me.

[ThackerAgency]

01:09 PM on 04/04/2011

I love Yoga. Everyone should exercise. Yoga can be done anywhere with little equipment. It helps the body, mind, and spirit. Strength in Yoga is defined by how well you are held together rather than how much you can hold up.

[Dan Walter]

07:23 AM on 04/04/2011

Sure beats a trip to Johns Hopkins Cardiology: http://collateral-damage.net

[Sonia Riva]

06:05 AM on 04/04/2011

GREAT ARTICLE !! look to www.yogawithperumal.tv this is the best Yogalession online in the world !!

[ramsha]

12:05 AM on 04/04/2011

I once over heard an older woman tell another that Yoga helps her "irregularity". But I have never heard of yoga helping your hearts irregularity.

[sandalwood]

11:39 PM on 04/03/2011

How amazing that taking care of oneself can lead to better health.

[JSDKoeln]

02:07 AM on 04/04/2011

What makes you think that all people with heart arrhythmia's don't take care of themselves? Most times it's a genetic predisposition (as in my case). Maybe you should do a little more research before making such an uneducated generalization.

Yoga has been on my mind. I've been on every drug out there to no avail. Next is surgery which could potentially lead to a pacemaker. I eat perfect and exercise when my heart permits. I'm a big strong guy with plenty of lean muscle and try to keep as active as possible. Perhaps yoga is what I should try next before they start sticking catheters and electrical wires into my heart.

[sandalwood]

02:38 AM on 04/04/2011

My point is that Yoga turns out to be a good approach for this, that and everything... from hypertension, back pain, depression to anxiety, frozen shoulder, elevated cholesterol etc. etc. etc., and now this particular condition... the list will grow longer and eventually become infinite.

Best of luck with incorporating Yoga into your self-care regimen.

[merlinspinoza]

08:05 PM on 04/03/2011

http://www.youremotionalheart.com/ [ the webinar is $ 15 or $ 20 after april 6th]

some aspects of maharishi ayur veda [ which includes yoga among 40 main modalities ] are approved for category one CME credits for MDs