Effects of 40 days of Pranayama Training in Hypertensive Subjects Jain Prashant Kumar1, Malhotra Varun2,*, Goel Neera3, Gupta Shivani4 1Post graduate Student Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad 2Associate Professor, AIIMS, Bhopal 3Associate Professor, Santosh Medical College 4MBBS Student, Santosh Medical College *Corresponding author: Varun Malhotra, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Saket Nagar, AIIMS, Bhopal-462024. Varun.physiology@aiimsbhopal.edu.in
Online published on 20 July, 2019. Abstract Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease and peripheral vascular disease. It accounts for a major part of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Relaxation and stress relieving methods like Pranayama, Meditation has been shown to be capable of lowering blood pressure This study was undertaken to scientifically sdetermine the effects of Pranayamas namely anulomaviloma and Bhramari etc for mental relaxation and their effects on blood pressure with the help of following parameters viz. Heart rate, Bloodpressure (systolic + Diastolic blood pressure) in the hypertensive subjects and to compare the effects of Pranayama in two groups i.e. Group A, subject to Pranayama and with control Group B, who will not be subjected to any kind of Pranayama training. The mean BP profile parameters for patients after 40 days of Yoga were SBP 134.21±7.02 (mmHg), DBP 84.92±6.39 (mmHg), Pulse rate76.00±3.43 (beats/min) & Respiratory rate12.83±1.01 (resp./min).The corresponding values for controls were SBP 157.00±7.50 (mmHg), DBP 94.04±3.25 (mmHg), Pulse rate 76.71±7.62 (beats/min) & Respiratory rate 14.42±2.24 (resp./min) respectively. The variation in respect of SBP not statistically significant. P>0.05. At the outset, before commencement of Yoga exercise the SBP was160.46±7.02 (mmHg), DBP was 96.63±3.83 (mmHg), Pulse rate was 80.83±6.18 (beats/min), & Respiratory rate was15.33±1.49 (resp./min). After 20 days of commencement of Yoga exercise SBP became 153.58±6.65 (mmHg), DBP 91.50±5.41 (mmHg), Pulse rate became 79.25±4.68 (beats/min)& Respiratory rate was15.04±1.04 (resp./min)and after 40 days of Yoga exercise SBP turned out to be 134.21±7.00 (mmHg), DBP84.92±6.39 (mmHg), Pulse rate 76.00±3.43 (beats/min), and Respiratory rate 12.83±1.01 (resp./min). While the variations in all these parameters except for the Pulse rate (beats/min) was statistically highly significant as P<0.001, Pulse rate changes were also statistically significant P=0.004. Thus, we conclude that yogic practices combined with antihypertensive drugs were found effective in reducing BP & PR in resting condition and during stimulus induced conditions as well in mild to moderate hypertension. It reduced the requirement of the dose of antihypertensive drugs in majority of the hypertensive patients. Specifically it was found to affect cardiovascular autonomic regulation and tends to normalize it. Top Keywords Hypertension Pranayama Blood pressure respiratory rate. Top |