Efficacy of a Short-Term Yoga-Based Lifestyle Intervention in Reducing Stress and Inflammation: Preliminary Results

Objectives: Previously it was shown that a brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention was efficacious in reducing oxidative stress and risk of chronic diseases even in a short duration. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of this intervention in reducing stress and inflammation in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. Design: This study reports preliminary results from a nonrandomized prospective ongoing study with pre-post design. Setting/location: The study was conducted at the Integral Health Clinic, an outpatient facility conducting these yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for prevention and management of chronic diseases. Subjects: Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and overweight/obese subjects were included while physically challenged, and those on other interventions were excluded from the study. Intervention: A pretested intervention program included asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), stress management, group discussions, lectures, and individualized advice. Outcome measures: There was a reduction in stress (plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin) and inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha) at day 0 versus day 10. Results: Eighty-six (86) patients (44 female, 42 male, 40.07 +/- 13.91 years) attended this program. Overall, the mean level of cortisol decreased from baseline to day 10 (149.95 +/- 46.07, 129.07 +/- 33.30 ng/mL; p = 0.001) while beta-endorphins increased from baseline to day 10 (3.53 +/- 0.88, 4.06 +/- 0.79 ng/mL; p = 0.024). Also, there was reduction from baseline to day 10 in mean levels of IL-6 (2.16 +/- 0.42, 1.94 +/- 0.10 pg/mL, p = 0.036) and TNF-alpha (2.85 +/- 0.59, 1.95 +/- 0.32 pg/mL, p = 0.002). Conclusions: This brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention reduced the markers of stress and inflammation as early as 10 days in patients with chronic diseases; however, complete results of this study will confirm whether this program has utility as complementary and alternative therapy.