Additional benefit of yoga to standard lifestyle modification on blood pressure in prehypertensive subjects: a randomized controlled study

High blood pressure (BP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease morbidity. Considering the growing evidence of nonpharmacological interventions in the management of high BP, we designed a randomized, parallel active-controlled study on the effect of yoga and standard lifestyle modification (LSM) on BP and heart rate in individuals with prehypertension (systolic BP 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP 80-89 mmHg). Volunteers (20-60 years) of both genders without any known cardiovascular disease were randomized into either LSM group (n = 92) or LSM + yoga group (n = 92). Before the intervention, age, waist circumference, physical activity, BP and fasting plasma glucose and lipids were comparable between the groups. After 12 weeks of intervention, we observed a significant reduction in the BP and heart rate in both the groups. Further, the reduction in systolic BP was significantly more in LSM + yoga group (6 mm Hg) as compared with LSM group (4 mm Hg). In addition, 13 prehypertensives became normotensives in LSM + yoga group and four in LSM group. The results indicate efficacy of nonpharmacological intervention and the additional benefit of yoga to standard LSM. Further research in this field may add to the level of evidence on the benefit of yoga, in the reduction of BP in high BP subjects, in the scientific literature.