Cardiovascular Disease
Conditions
Keywords
yoga, postmenopausal, sedentary South Asian women
Brief summary
The purpose of this randomized, control pilot study is to measure the effects of a gentle, 12 week hatha yoga program on post-menopausal, obese, sedentary South Asian women at risk for cardiovascular disease. Hatha yoga is a form of structured physical exercises known as asanas, combined with breathing exercises called pranayama, and relaxation techniques. The yoga intervention consists of 9 different yoga poses (asanas) and 3 different breathing exercises (pranayama) that can be easily replicated and readily performed by individuals who are middle-aged and older, overweight, unfit, or who suffer from a chronic illness.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALYoga Intervention
12 week 90 minute hatha yoga session offered three (3x) per week. Hatha yoga is a form of structured physical exercises known as asanas, combined with breathing exercises called pranayama, and relaxation techniques. The yoga intervention consists of 9 different yoga poses (asanas) and 3 different breathing exercises (pranayama) that can be easily replicated and readily performed by individuals who are middle-aged and older, overweight, unfit, or who suffer from a chronic illness.
Sponsors
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
40 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 40- 65 years old * Postmenopausal (amenorrhea for ≥ 12 months) * Overweight as evidenced by a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2), or waist circumference ≥ 80 cm, or have a first degree relative with diabetes or essential hypertension * Sedentary, do not do a regular exercise program (exercising for 20 minutes at sufficient intensity to produce sweating less than 2x/week) * Self-identify as a South Asian (sometimes referred to as East Indian in Canada and may be defined as any person who reports an ethnicity associated with the southern part of Asia or who self-identifies as part of the South Asian visible minority group. This definition encompasses people from a great diversity of ethnic backgrounds, including those with Bangladeshi, Bengali, East Indian, Goan, Gujarati, Hindu, Ismaili, Kashmiri, Nepali, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sikh, Sinhalese, South Asian, Sri Lankan and Tamil ancestry. South Asians may have been born in Canada, on the Indian sub-continent, in the Caribbean, in Africa, in Great Britain or elsewhere * Given consent to research protocol and willingness to be randomized to either the treatment (yoga) or control (no yoga) group.
Exclusion criteria
* Have had a period within the last year * Are not between the ages of 40 and 65 * Have experience with yoga within the last 12 months * Have any serious disease or condition such as diabetes, serious high blood pressure or heart problems, kidney disease, severe asthma, cancer (except for skin cancer that is not melanoma) * Have a major brain or nervous system diagnosis, such as Parkinson's disease or stroke * Have a severe infectious or other medical illness right now such as pneumonia * Use medications to lower blood sugar levels * Have serious back, hip, or neck problems or pain in joints or bones that would prevent the safe completion of a gentle 12 week Hatha yoga program * Regularly use an assistive device (e.g., cane, walker) to walk
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in blood pressure | baseline, at end of study (12 wks), & 3 months post-study | blood pressure is measured as a specific physiologic index of cardiovascular risk. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in perceived physical well-being | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, and Exercise Regularly Scale will be used to measure change in perceived physical well-being |
| Change in insulin sensitivity | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Fasting insulin & glucose will be measured for change in insulin sensitivity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in inflammation | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | C-reactive protein will be measured for change in inflammation as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in serum total cholesterol | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Serum total cholesterol will be measured as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol will be measured as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol will be measured as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in subjective well-being | baseline, at end of study (12 wks), & 3 months post-study | The Perceived Stress Scale and Abbreviated Duke Social Support Index will be used to measure subjective well-being. |
| Change in waist circumference. | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Waist circumference will be measured for change in visceral adiposity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change waist-hip ratio | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Waist-hip ratio will be measured for change in visceral adiposity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in body mass index (BMI) | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Body mass index (BMI) will be measured for change in visceral adiposity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in resting heart rate | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Resting heart rate will be measured for change in sympathetic activity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in heart rate | baseline, at end of study (12 wks), & 3 months post-study | Heart rate will be measured for change in sympathetic activity as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
| Change in serum triglycerides | baseline, end of study (12 wks) & 3 months post-study | Serum triglycerides will be measured as a related index of cardiovascular risk |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
Primary ContactAmandah L Hoogbruin, PhD
Backup ContactRaymond Dong, FRCPC
Outcome results
None listed