Yoga may help in Reducing the Risk of Irregular Heartbeat

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In its long history – and it is a very long history, first mentioned in 5000-
year-old Vedic texts – yoga has been attributed to healing or
ameliorating many things. In one of the main texts on yoga, Patajali’s
Yoga Sutras, yoga is described as stillig the fluctuations of the id.
And new research suggests that it could help reduce an irregular heart
rhythm – stilling the fluctuations of the heart, if you will.
Research carried out at the University of Kansas in the US has found that
people who regularly practice yoga reduce their risk of atrial fibrillation.
Not only that, but researchers also found that yoga reduced feelings of
anxiety and depression. For people at risk of atrial fibrillation, this comes
as good news, as the only treatments currently available for the
condition include invasive procedures or medication with unpleasant
side effects.
What is Atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm – or irregular heartbeat –
caused by unusual generation of electrical signals in the heart. Atrial
fibrillation is a major cause of stroke in the aged. It is a common and
potentially dangerous condition.
Normal heart contractions start as an electrical impulse, producing a wave of
muscle contractions; the electrical activity spreads through the walls of the
atria and causes them to contract, forcing blood into the ventricles. The atria
and ventricles work together, alternately contracting and relaxing to pump
blood through the heart.
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Emotions, exercise, medications or fever can affect the rate at which the heart beats, but in atrial fibrillation can be
caused by underlying heart disease, or even excessive alcohol or caffeine intake.
This Study Shows Significant Impact
The study involved a small group of 49 patients who had never tried
yoga before and had no physical limitations. They were monitored for
six months – for the first three months the patients could do any
physical activity they liked, then for the remaining three months, they
were given a program of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama
(breathing exercises), meditation and relaxation.
The patients did three yoga sessions a week and were encouraged to
practice at home daily. The study monitored episodes of irregular
heartbeat throughout the trial, and patients completed short surveys
to assess their levels of anxiety, depression and overall quality of life.
The study showed that the yoga program cut episodes of irregular heartbeat in half – a significant reduction – and
also edued depessio ad aiet, ieased phsial fitess ad helped the patiets’ soial futioig.
The doctor in charge of the study, Dr Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, said, It appeas oga has a sigifiat ipat o
helpig to egulate patiets’ heateat ad ipoves the oveall ualit of life.
Given the small size of the study, Dr Lakkireddy cautioned that larger studies need to be carried out to see if his
findings are replicated. However, he also said that since yoga is non-invasive, low-cost, and confers a range of other
physical and mental benefits, it should definitely be considered as a complementary treatment of the condition.
Source: Medical News Today

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