Practicing Yoga to Lower Blood Pressure
Researchers have found that yoga exercise helps treat hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Two research teams from Atlanta, USA, and New Delhi, India, reported their findings in the latest issue of the German professional journal *Medical Practice*. In Atlanta, scientists divided 84 hypertensive patients into two groups for study. Comparison revealed that patients who consistently practiced yoga showed significant blood pressure reduction; their temperaments were no longer as irritable as before, and their blood pressure dropped markedly. The New Delhi team observed 42 patients with vascular diseases for one year. Results showed that those who practiced yoga daily rarely experienced chest tightness or shortness of breath. Compared to non-practitioners, participants had reduced weight, significantly lowered cholesterol levels in the blood, and greatly alleviated arterial hardening.
The scientists from both research teams believe that yoga exercise protects blood vessels and the heart, but this effect requires active treatment using various medical methods.