Heart failure patients who do yoga have stronger hearts and are more active, says study

A study has revealed that heart failure patients who do yoga have stronger hearts and are more active than the ones who don't.

The researchers said that yoga focused on breathing, meditation, and relaxation was directly connected with symptom improvement in patients with heart failure.

“Patients who practised yoga on top of taking their medications felt better, were able to do more, and had stronger hearts than those who only took drugs for their heart failure,” said study author Dr Ajit Singh of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.

“The findings suggest that yoga can be a beneficial complementary therapy in patients with heart failure.”

Over 64 million people in the world suffer from heart failure which can impact the quality of life with fatigue, breathlessness and the inability to participate in usual activities as common symptoms.

Previously, several studies have shown short-term benefits of yoga in patients with heart failure, this study reveals its long-term effects.

The study involved patients between 30 to 70 years of age with heart failure from the cardiology outpatient department of Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, India.

The ones taking part in the study had undergone a cardiac procedure within the past six months to one year. They were following the guidelines as advised by the doctor in terms of medication.

The patients who had developed severe symptoms were excluded.

Out of the 85 participants, 40 were assigned to the group that practised yoga, whereas 45 patients were allocated to the control group.

The age was 49 years and 70, out of which 82 per cent were men.

Throughout the study, all the patients kept taking guideline-recommended heart failure medications.

At baseline, six months, and one year, the researchers examined the heart structure and functioning in both groups.

The researchers found that as compared to the control group, the yoga group exhibited significant progress in all the spheres at six months and one year relative to baseline.

"Patients who did yoga had healthier hearts and were more able to carry out ordinary activities such as walking and climbing stairs than those who only took medications. Patients with heart failure should speak to their doctor before starting yoga and should then receive training from an experienced instructor. Prescribed medications should be continued as before. Yoga may be unsuitable for heart failure patients with severe symptoms, who were excluded from our study," Dr Singh said.