Indian Heart Journal (Jul 2017)

Comparison of yoga and walking-exercise on cardiac time intervals as a measure of cardiac function in elderly with increased pulse pressure

  • Satish Gurunathrao Patil,
  • Shankargouda S. Patil,
  • Manjunatha R. Aithala,
  • Kusal Kanti Das

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2017.02.006
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 69, no. 4
pp. 485 – 490

Abstract

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Objective: Arterial aging along with increased blood pressure(BP) has become the major cardiovascular(CV) risk in elderly. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of yoga program and walking-exercise on cardiac function in elderly with increased pulse pressure (PP). Methods: An open label, parallel-group randomized controlled study design was adopted. Elderly individuals aged ≥60 years with PP ≥ 60 mmHg were recruited for the study. Yoga (study) group (n = 30) was assigned for yoga training and walking (exercise) group (n = 30) for walking with loosening practices for one hour in the morning for 6 days in a week for 3 months. The outcome measures were cardiac time intervals derived from pulse wave analysis and ECG: resting heart rate (RHR), diastolic time(DT), ventricular ejection time(LVET), upstroke time(UT), ejection duration index (ED%), pre-ejection period (PEP), rate pressure product (RPP) and percentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP). Results: The mean within-yoga group change in RHR(bpm) was 4.41 (p = 0.031), PD(ms): −50.29 (p = 0.042), DT(ms): −49.04 (p = 0.017), ED%: 2.107 (p = 0.001), ES(mmHg/ms): 14.62 (p = 0.118), ET(ms): −0.66 (p = 0.903), UT(ms): −2.54 (p = 0.676), PEP(ms): −1.25 (p = 0.11) and %MAP: 2.08 (p = 0.04). The mean within-control group change in HR (bpm) was 0.35 (p = 0.887), PD (ms): 11.15(p = 0.717), DT (ms): 11.3 (p = 0.706), ED%: −0.101 (p = 0.936), ES (mmHg/ms): 0.75 (p = 0.926), ET(ms): 2.2 (p = 0.721), UT(ms):4.7(p = 455), PEP (ms): 2.1(p = 0.11), %MAP: 0.65 (p = 0.451). A significant difference between-group was found in RHR (p = 0.036), PD (p = 0.02), ED% (p = 0.049), LVET (p = 0.048), DT (p = 0.02) and RPP (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Yoga practice for 3 months showed a significant improvement in diastolic function with a minimal change in systolic function. Yoga is more effective than walking in improving cardiac function in elderly with high PP.

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