April 14, 2011 – The regular practice of yoga would reduce the number of attacks of heart palpitations of people suffering from arrhythmia, and more particularly atrial fibrillation1, in addition to improving their quality of life.
This is what American researchers discovered by following 49 patients with arrhythmia for 6 months.
During the first 3 months of the study, the patients continued to practice their usual physical activities. The following 3 months, they benefited from yoga classes, 60 minutes twice a week, including breathing exercises, postures, relaxation and meditation. Their heart rate was monitored using a portable device and arrhythmia symptoms (palpitations, malaise) were noted in a notebook.
According to the results, yoga reduced the average number of palpitation attacks by 45%, from 3.8 in the control phase to 2.1 during the “yoga” phase. Anxiety and depression levels also decreased, and the quality of life of patients improved.
This is an important point, according to Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, principal investigator of the study. “Patients with arrhythmia suffer from stress and anxiety, and no drug can really improve their quality of life,” he explained during the presentation of the study at the 2011 congress of the. American College of Cardiology. These effects could be explained, among other things, by the beneficial effect of yoga on stress and inflammation. A future larger study should make it possible to explain the mechanisms.
In the meantime, the researcher considers that “yoga can be a good adjuvant treatment for atrial fibrillation, in addition to antiarrhythmic drugs which remain essential to reduce the risk of stroke associated with this pathology”.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia. In Quebec, nearly 70,000 people have it. It is the cause of 33% of strokes in people aged 60 and over.
Celia Chabout – HealthPassport.net
1. Atrial fibrillation results in irregular contractions of the atria (upper chambers of the heart) which can cause palpitations, discomfort and increase the risk of stroke.
