The ICMR trial shows yoga work in cardiac rehab

After the largest multicenter randomized trial; researchers hope yoga will be used more in low and middle income countries

The largest randomized multicenter trial ever conducted on cardiac rehabilitation and the benefits of yoga on health shows that yoga works.

The results of YogaCaRe were presented during the scientific session of the American Heart Association in Chicago on November 10, 2018. The study, lasting five years, ended in September 2018. The program was funded by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Medical Research Council (UK). ).

Professor Prabhakaran, PhFI Vice President and Executive Director of CCDC and lead researcher of the study, said: "The prevalence of ischemic heart disease in India has increased by 50% and, in absolute numbers, by 10 million in 1990 to 24 million euros in 2016. The Yoga-CaRe test, the largest test on yoga and cardiac rehabilitation, showed that yoga could be an alternative to conventional CP programs and meet unmet needs in cardiac rehabilitation of patients in crisis phase. middle-income country. It is safe, relatively inexpensive, does not require complex infrastructure, culturally acceptable and improves the quality of life. "

Professor Sanjay Kinra, Chief, Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, co-principal investigator of the study, said: "Improving cardiac care means that most people survive a heart attack. The focus has been on improving the quality of life of heart attack survivors so they can readjust better after such a catastrophic event and make the greatest contribution to their families and society. This is especially true in India, where heart attacks tend to occur at a very young age. "

"This is a historical study that shows that the use of yoga as a CR tool is effective in improving the quality of life and reducing cardiovascular events in people who have completed at least 75% of sessions. "

The study is awaiting a formal peer review, but preliminary results from this study suggest that a yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation program could improve the quality of life and promote a faster return to normal activities. . This offers an effective, inexpensive and culturally acceptable alternative to conventional, generally complex and costly cardiac rehabilitation programs, thus improving the lives of the millions of disadvantaged people in the world who are most in need of such care.

Traditional cultural practices are often perceived with suspicion by the traditional medical community. This major yoga test conducted with the highest scientific standards highlights the potential of traditional practices to play a complementary role in the provision of medical care, especially given the high costs of managing chronic diseases.

Professor Ambuj Roy, Professor of Cardiology at the Institute of All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS), "This is a historical study that shows that the use of yoga as a" The CR tool is effective in improving quality of life and reducing cardiovascular events in those who have completed less than 75% of sessions. Yoga has gained immense popularity nationally and internationally as a health promotion tool, especially after the UN declared June 21st International Yoga Day.