TOPLINE:

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials including adults with overweight or obesity found that regular yoga practice improved in cardiometabolic health, notably lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and modestly improving lipid profiles.

METHODOLOGY:

• Yoga — a widely practiced, low-risk, mind-body activity of low-to-moderate intensity — has been shown to improve levels of lipids and inflammatory markers, but prior reviews did not examine whether high BMI affects outcomes.
• Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the impact of yoga practice on a wide spectrum of cardiometabolic outcomes (blood pressure, lipid profiles, glucose regulation, and levels of inflammatory and antioxidant markers) in individuals with overweight or obesity.
• Thirty randomized controlled trials comparing yoga interventions with inactive control or other physical activity interventions among 2689 adults with overweight or obesity met the inclusion criteria; 23 trials involving 2313 participants were included in the meta-analyses.
• Studies were eligible if participants had a high BMI according to World Health Organization guidelines, with thresholds of at least 23 for Asian populations and at least 25 for other ethnicities.
• Of the 30 studies, 23 were conducted in Asian countries, with 21 studies in India. The studies conducted outside of Asia took place in the US (5), Germany (1), and Australia (1).

TAKEAWAY:

• This meta-analysis of 16 studies involving 962 individuals showed that yoga practices significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (mean difference, -4.35 mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference, -2.06 mm Hg).
• A subgroup analysis by ethnicity found that yoga reduced systolic blood pressure by about 5.52 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by about 2.81 mm Hg among Asian participants, whereas no significant reductions in blood pressure were seen in non-Asian participants.
• Yoga generally improved lipid profiles, reducing levels of triglycerides (mean difference, -0.26 mmol/L) and increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean difference, 0.06 mmol/L). However, the effect varied by ethnicity, with yoga improving the lipid profile in the Asian population but not in the non-Asian population.
• A subgroup analysis on yoga dosage found that interventions lasting at least 12 weeks, with sessions of at least 60 minutes conducted at least three times per week, showed beneficial effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride levels, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure among Asian participants.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings support the use of yoga as an adjunctive treatment option for the clinical management of poor metabolic health with potential implications for future clinical guideline development and public health policy focused on lifestyle-based management of overweight and obesity,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Widya Wasityastuti, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was published online in PLOS Global Public Health.

LIMITATIONS:

Many included trials (especially those from Asia) had unclear randomization, missing data, and outcome measurement issues. The review excluded people with common comorbidities, which may have limited the generalizability of the findings. Few eligible randomized controlled trials enrolled non-Asian participants.

DISCLOSURES:

No specific funding was received for this work. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.