In 2012, a study has found that yoga training can significantly improve the quality of life in women suffering from asthma. Conducted by researchers Amy J. Bidwell, Beth Yazel, David Davin, Timothy J. Fairchild, and Jill A. Kanaley, the study explored how a 10-week yoga intervention impacts both quality of life and heart rate variability (HRV) in female asthma patients.

Asthma often diminishes the quality of life for sufferers, making effective management strategies crucial. While yoga has previously been shown to enhance autonomic function in healthy individuals, its effects on asthma patients had not been extensively studied until now.

In this study, 19 women with mild-to-moderate asthma were randomly assigned to either a yoga group or a control group. Both groups continued to follow their physician’s guidelines throughout the study. Participants completed the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) to assess their quality of life and performed an isometric handgrip exercise test to evaluate HRV.

The results were compelling. The yoga group exhibited a 45% improvement in quality of life, as measured by the SGRQ, a change that was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In contrast, the control group showed no notable changes. Additionally, those who practiced yoga experienced significant improvements in resting hemodynamic measures compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

The yoga intervention also influenced autonomic modulation. Specifically, the yoga group demonstrated a decrease in parasympathetic modulation (HFnu) during the isometric forearm exercise (IFE) from 0.45 ± 0.60 to 0.35 ± 0.06 normalized units (nu), a statistically significant change (p < 0.05). Concurrently, there was an increase in sympathetic modulation (LFnu) from 0.47 ± 0.07 to 0.60 ± 0.07 nu (p < 0.05) and in sympathovagal modulation (logLF/HF) from 4.61 ± 0.39 to 5.31 ± 0.44 (p < 0.05). These changes were not observed in the control group.

The study concludes that yoga training not only enhances quality of life for women with mild-to-moderate asthma but also positively affects autonomic function, decreasing parasympathetic and increasing sympathetic modulation in response to physical exertion.

These findings suggest that yoga could be a valuable complementary therapy for asthma patients, offering both physical and psychological benefits. Further research could expand on these results, potentially influencing asthma management practices and guidelines in the future.

Reference: Bidwell, A. J., Yazel, B., Davin, D., Fairchild, T. J., & Kanaley, J. A. (2012). Yoga training improves quality of life in women with asthma. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(8), 749-755.