Yoga as a potential approach for metabolic syndrome management
Rewritten Article:
Yogis, the folks who dive into the world of yoga, sure love to sing its praises for both mind and body. But what's the lowdown according to science? A recent study takes a good look at the impact of yoga on individuals with metabolic syndrome.
At Medical News Today, we've been keeping our readers informed about a slew of studies highlighting yoga's potential health benefits, ranging from brain health and cognitive function, to addressing thyroid issues and alleviating depression symptoms. Even erectile dysfunction and diabetes management seem to be in yoga's wheelhouse.
Yet, most of these studies are observational, making direct cause-and-effect conclusions a no-go. And when it comes to understanding the underpinnings of these findings, there's been a sweet Spotify playlist of silence.
But, that's exactly where Dr. Parco M. Siu, from the University of Hong Kong, China, steps in, leading a study examining yoga's effect on cardiometabolic health. Its results are published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
What's so special about this study? For starters, it reveals not only the benefits but also the mechanisms behind them.
Metabolic syndrome, a condition often linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, claims a staggering 34% of the U.S. adult population as its owners. Dr. Siu and his team, knowing that a year of yoga lowers blood pressure and waist size, embarked on this study to discover yoga's impact on folks with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
The researchers split 97 participants into a control and yoga group. While the former just watched the clock tick, yoga group members attended three 1-hour sessions a week for a year. They also monitored patients' adipokines—signaling proteins released by fat tissue, influencing the immune system's inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response.
The study authors summarized their findings, stating, "A year of yoga training decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokine in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure."
They added, "These findings support the beneficial role of yoga in managing metabolic syndrome by favorably modulating adipokines."
The results hint that yoga could be a valuable lifestyle intervention to help slash inflammation and manage symptoms for those grappling with metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Siu himself weighed in on the results, "These findings help to unravel the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, underscoring the importance of regular exercise for human health."
And, uncovering the response of adipokines may just be the tip of the iceberg!
- Yoga's potential beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are being explored further by scientists.
- Dr. Parco M. Siu, from the University of Hong Kong, leads a study investigating yoga's impact on individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- The findings of this study suggest that a year of yoga training can decrease proinflammatory adipokines and increase anti-inflammatory adipokines in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- The study's results indicate that yoga could be a valuable lifestyle intervention for managing inflammation and symptoms in people with metabolic syndrome.
