Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Yoga can enhance cardiovascular function in heart failure patients: Study

To evaluate the effects of yoga therapy on heart failure patients, echocardiographic parametres were assessed during multiple follow-up periods

Yoga can enhance cardiovascular function in heart failure patients: Study

In a recent study, researchers investigated the potential long-term benefits of incorporating yoga therapy as a supplementary treatment for managing heart failure and found that yoga therapy has the potential to enhance the physical well-being and left ventricular function of individuals with heart failure.

Heart failure, a form of cardiovascular disease, occurs when the heart muscle's functionality is compromised, leading to difficulties in efficiently pumping blood, fluid retention, and breathlessness.


The severity of a patient's symptoms is often assessed using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional classification system, which categorises patients into one of four groups based on their physical activity limitations.

Class I denotes the mildest symptoms, while Class IV indicates the most severe. Additionally, clinicians evaluate the heart's pumping efficiency by measuring ejection fraction.

The research involved a cohort of 75 patients diagnosed with heart failure, who had received coronary intervention, revascularisation, or device therapy within the past six months to one year at a specialised healthcare facility in South India.

All participants in the study were categorised as NYHA Class III or lower and had been receiving optimised medical treatment for a duration of at least six months to one year.

To be eligible for the trial, patients had to fall within the age range of 30 to 70 years and maintain a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 45 per cent or above.

The study involved two groups: the interventional group comprised 35 participants (31 males and 4 females), and the non-interventional group consisted of 40 individuals (30 males and 10 females).

In the interventional group, participants received both yoga therapy and standard guideline-directed medical care, while those in the non-interventional group solely received standard guideline-directed medical therapy.

To evaluate the effects of yoga therapy on heart failure patients, echocardiographic parametres were assessed during multiple follow-up periods.

The interventional group underwent echocardiographic comparisons alongside the non-interventional group to determine the impact of yoga therapy on heart failure patients.

“Yoga is a combination of mind-body techniques, which is a set of physical exercises [asana] with breathing techniques [pranayama], relaxation and meditation that can be effectively used to stimulate physical and mental well-being,” said Ajit Singh, PhD, research scientist for the Indian Council for Medical Research at Kasturba Medical College & Hospital, Manipal Academy of Heart Education in Manipal, India, and the study’s lead author.

“Our patients observed improvement in systolic blood pressure and heart rate compared to patients who were on medication without yoga.”

Participants in the yoga group were taken to the department of yoga at the hospital and an experienced yoga therapist taught selected yoga therapy like pranayama, meditation and relaxation techniques.

Each session lasted around 60 minutes and participants were supervised for one week at the training centre before being asked to continue self-administered yoga at home.

Those in the yoga group were advised to perform yoga at least five days a week for 12 months.

At the training centre, all the participants were taught together to perform the same steps, but individual support was available.

Researchers measured quality of life improvements using the World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire, which uses 26 questions to evaluate quality of life in four aspects: physical, psychological, social and environmental health.

The participants completed the questionnaire at enrollment, as well as at 24 weeks and 48 weeks of follow-up.

According to the researchers, the study showed participants in the yoga group had improvement in endurance, strength, balance, symptom stability and quality of life.

They also observed that while patients improved physically and psychologically, there was no improvement in social and environmental health.

Echocardiographic parametres did not show any significant differences between the two groups at baseline.

At both the six- and 12-month follow-up improved biventricular systolic function was seen in the interventional (yoga) group compared to the non-interventional group.

The interventional group also showed substantial improvement in functional outcomes as assessed by the NHYA classification.

“This study proves that the addition of yoga therapy to standard medical management of heart failure leads to an improvement in left ventricular systolic function and quality of life in heart failure patients,” Singh said.

“Hence, yoga therapy may improve physical well-being and left ventricular function among heart failure patients on guideline-directed optimal medical therapy.”

(With inputs from ANI)

More For You

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches

The chain had also gained a following for its themed brunches

iStock

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches after 20 years

Key points

  • Chinese dim sum restaurant Ping Pong has closed all its UK locations
  • The chain made the announcement via social media
  • Founded in 2005, the brand thanked customers and staff for their support
  • Loyal diners shared memories and disappointment in the comments

All branches are permanently closed

Chinese restaurant chain Ping Pong has permanently closed all its branches in the UK, the company confirmed in a social media announcement.

Founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, the dim sum chain had become popular for its stylish interiors, creative menus, and Asian-inspired cocktails. The company did not provide prior notice of the closure but said the decision marked the end of an “unforgettable” 20-year journey.

Keep ReadingShow less
New Covid strain

Experts have raised concerns about the immune-evasive nature of the Stratus strain

iStock

New Covid strain Stratus spreads in UK with unusual hoarse voice symptom

Key points

  • A new Covid strain known as Stratus is spreading across the UK
  • The variant is marked by a distinctive symptom: a hoarse or raspy voice
  • Sub-variants XFG and XFG.3 now account for 30% of cases in England
  • Experts say there is no evidence of more severe disease
  • Lower immunity levels may make more people vulnerable to infection

Covid variant Stratus on the rise in the UK

A new strain of Covid-19, known as Stratus, is spreading across the UK and drawing attention for its unusual symptom — a hoarse or raspy voice. According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Stratus and its two sub-variants, XFG and XFG.3, are responsible for around 30 per cent of Covid cases in England.

Of the two, XFG.3 is currently the more dominant. The UKHSA confirmed that monitoring of all circulating Covid-19 variants is ongoing as part of regular surveillance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Black women cancer risk

Serious public health challenges in the decades ahead

iStock

Study warns of rising uterine cancer rates, with Black women hardest hit

Key points

  • Uterine cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise significantly in the US by 2050.
  • Black women are expected to experience the highest increase in incidence-based mortality.
  • A new model predicts incidence rising to 86.9 cases per 100,000 for Black women and 74.2 for White women.
  • Researchers stress the urgent need for improved prevention and early detection strategies.

Sharp increase in uterine cancer predicted over next three decades

Uterine cancer, currently the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, is projected to see a substantial rise in both cases and deaths by 2050, particularly among Black women. A new study led by researchers at Columbia University warns of worsening racial disparities in outcomes if preventative measures are not introduced.

This year alone, around 69,120 new cases of uterine cancer and nearly 14,000 deaths are expected in the United States. However, projections by the Columbia University research team, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, indicate a significant increase in both incidence and mortality over the next 30 years.

Keep ReadingShow less