In an article published in Preventive Medicine, people with Type 2 diabetes who did Yoga for about 8 weeks had better blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, stress levels, and even lost some weight.
September 26, 2017
Yoga Improves Glycemic Control in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
- Preventive Medicine
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- The authors of this meta-analysis of 23 studies evaluated the effect of yoga on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Individuals participating in yoga had improved HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, and cortisol levels compared with controls.
- People with T2DM gain significant benefit from yoga, with improved glycemic control and metabolic profiles. Further long-term studies are needed to evaluate the durability of these benefits.
Abstract
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effects of yoga for glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Comprehensive electronic databases searches located 2559 unique studies with relevant key terms. Studies were included if they (1) evaluated a yoga intervention to promote T2DM management, (2) used a comparison group, (3) reported an objective measure of glycemic control at post-intervention, and (4) had follow-up length or post-test of at least 8weeks from baseline. Independent raters coded participant, design and methodological characteristics and intervention content. Summary effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Twenty-three studies with 2473 participants (mean age=53years; 43% women) met eligibility criteria. Compared with controls, yoga participants were successful in improving their HbA1c (d+=0.36, 95% CI=0.16, 0.56; k=16), FBG (d+=0.58, 95% CI=0.40, 0.76; k=20), and PPBG (d+=0.40, 95% CI=0.23, 0.56; k=14). Yoga was also associated with significant improvements in lipid profile, blood pressure, body mass index, waist/hip ratio and cortisol levels. Overall, studies satisfied an average of 41% of the methodological quality (MQ) criteria; MQ score was not associated with any outcome (Ps >0.05). Yoga improved glycemic outcomes and other risk factors for complications in adults with T2DM relative to a control condition. Additional studies with longer follow-ups are needed to determine the long-term efficacy of yoga for adults with T2DM.