Yoga-based lifestyle treatment and composite treatment goals in Type 2 Diabetes in a rural South Indian setup- a retrospective study

This multicentre retrospective study examined the effects of adjunct yoga-treatment in achieving composite cardiovascular goals for type 2 diabetes (T2D), set forth by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in rural Indian settings. Records were extracted for 146 T2D patients, aged >= 20-70 years, and treated under the "Apollo Total Health Programme" for rural diabetes management, for the period April 2016 to November 2016. The study cohort comprised of two treatment groups (n=73 each); non-yoga group (standard of care) and yoga group (adjunct yoga-treatment). Propensity score matching was applied between the study groups to define the cohort. Composite cardiovascular scores were based on the combination of individual ADA goals; A1c<7%, blood pressure (BP)<140/90mmHg, stringent BP (<130/80mmHg) and lipid, LDL-C<100mg/dl [risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease]. Logistic regression was used to compare between the two treatment groups. Compared to standard of care, adjunct yoga-treatment was found to significantly facilitate the attainment of ADA composite score by 8-fold; A1c, similar to 2-fold; LDL-C, similar to 2-fold; BP<140/90mmHg and <130/80mmHg by similar to 8-and similar to 6-fold respectively. This study provides the first evidence for significant efficacy of adjunct yoga-treatment for the attainment of favourable treatment goals for T2D in rural Indian settings.