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The Effects of a Yoga Program in Heart Failure Patients

The Clinical Outcomes Associated With a Modified Yoga Program in Heart Failure

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00794027
Acronym
YOGA
Enrollment
20
Registered
2008-11-19
Start date
2008-11-30
Completion date
2009-12-31
Last updated
2013-08-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Heart Failure

Keywords

heart failure, yoga, quality of life

Brief summary

The proposed research will investigate the clinical outcomes associated with a modified yoga training program in patients with heart failure (HF). HF patients (15-20) will participate in a modified yoga program during an 8 week period, two times per week with instruction for home practice. Baseline measures and follow-up will be taken after 8 weeks. The underlying hypothesis to be tested is that yoga-induced improvements in nervous system and skeletal muscle function will yield positive effects on clinical outcomes, functional ability, and health-related quality of life in patients with HF. The effect of combined yoga and breathing training on the natural history of HF and its potential to decrease negative clinical outcomes and improve symptoms is unknown. The relevance of this research is related to the important information it will provide to clinicians caring for patients with HF and will be the basis for pilot data for future NIH funding applications.

Detailed description

The proposed research project is a pilot study designed to delineate the clinical outcomes associated with a modified yoga program in a population of adults with ventricular dysfunction and clinical heart failure (HF). The researchers hypothesize that patients in a modified yoga training program will have a significant improvement in clinical outcomes, functional ability, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The researchers propose to evaluate 15-20 subjects with chronic HF and New York Heart Association Functional Class (NYHA) II-III and obtain baseline physiological, functional, and HRQOL measurements. After obtaining baseline measurements, patients will participate in a modified yoga program with instruction for home practice for 8 weeks. Baseline measurements include: Vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, exercise distance, muscular strength and flexibility determination, and various indices of HRQOL. At the conclusion of 8 weeks of yoga training the same measurements will be obtained. In a group of chronic HF patients, the specific aims are the following: 1. To develop a safe and feasible yoga program; 2. To determine whether clinical outcomes (vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart rate variability), functional ability (exercise distance, muscular strength and flexibility determination), and HRQOL are positively affected by a modified yoga program.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALYoga classes

Heart failure patients will undergo 8 weeks of yoga training 2 times per week and perform yoga breathing at home 3 times per week

BEHAVIORALYoga Classes

8 weeks of yoga training that occurs 2 times per week. The patients will also perform yoga breathing at home 3 times per week.

Sponsors

University of California, San Francisco
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* NYHA class I-III * normal sinus rhythm * able to walk * ability to read or understand English * age 30-75

Exclusion criteria

* cognitive impairment * inability to consent * 100% paced with pacemaker * hospitalization within 3 months * MI or recurrent angina within 6 months * severe stenotic valve disease * history of sudden cardiac death * history of uncontrolled ventricular tachyarrhythmias * pulmonary hypertension * FEV1 less than 1 liter by spirometry * orthopedic impediments to yoga * medication noncompliance

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Improvement in heart rate variability8 weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Health-related quality of life8 weeks
muscle strength8 weeks

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026