A study to assess the effect of yoga and diet on Framingham risk score among high-risk cardiovascular subjects.

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a cluster of disorders of blood vessels and the heart. As a form of physical activity, yoga postures, and pranayama have been shown to be beneficial in various health conditions, i.e. hypertension, prediabetes, and diabetes among high-risk subjects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of yoga and diet on the Framingham risk score (FRS) among high-risk cardiovascular subjects. The experimental interventional study was conducted at "RUHS College of Medical Sciences" and Associated Group of Hospitals", Jaipur among high-risk cardiovascular subjects. FRS was used as a measurement for the outcome of interest at baseline and six months of yoga diet intervention in the study and control groups. Mean age of participants was 48.43 ± 6.4 years. Baseline values (mean ± SD) of FRS 24.59 ± 10.15 after six months of yogic lifestyle 15.1 ± 7.05. After six months of yogic lifestyle FRS scores and estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk were statistically significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.0001) decreased. Pearson correlation analysis results depict that FRS correlation. There was a strong positive correlation between the FRS score and total cholesterol (<i>r</i> = 0.787; <i>P</i> < 0.001) and a negative strong correlation between the FRS score and high-density lipoprotein was observed (<i>r</i> =-0.621; <i>P</i> < 0.002). The findings of this study conclude that six months of yoga and diet lifestyle intervention significantly decreased FRS among high-risk CVD subjects compared to the control group.