NCT01302535

The Impact of Yoga on Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Patients With Hypertension

The Impact of Yoga on Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Patients With Hypertension - a Randomised Controlled Trial in Primary Health Care

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 83 (actual)
• Sponsor: Region Skane · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of yoga on blood pressure and quality of life in patients in primary health care diagnosed with hypertension within the last year. Another purpose is to examine whether the possible effect on blood pressure differs if patients practice yoga in a group lead by a yoga-trainer or receive a few yoga-exercises from their doctor to be practiced individually at home.

Detailed description

Hypertension is one of the most common diseases in the industrialized world. In Sweden alone approximately 1.8 million persons, 25% of the adult population, have hypertension. Hypertension is a common diagnosis in primary health care and the costs of investigating and treating hypertension and its consequences are considerable. We know that stress can affect blood pressure, but it is hard to measure and control. Previous studies have separately shown that yoga can reduce levels of cortisol in saliva and lower blood pressure. However, few studies have investigated the effects of yoga on hypertension and we lack information about the possibility of using yoga in primary health care to reduce hypertension. If yoga can be used to complement antihypertensive medicines, it could reduce medicine intake and thereby possibly reduce side effects and lower medicine costs. It is to be hoped that patients will also experience a higher quality of life if they perform yoga on a regular basis.

Conditions

• Hypertension

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Yoga group with supervision (trainer)	The Yoga-with-trainer group will meet once a week (60 minutes) to practice yoga with a yoga instructor. The participants will be encouraged to practice yoga between the yoga classes at home for 30 minutes a day.
OTHER	Yoga at home	The participants in the Yoga-at-home group will get a private doctor appointment (20 minutes) where they get instructions for two yoga exercises which they are encouraged to perform at home 15 minutes a day.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-03-01
• Primary completion: 2011-06-01
• Completion: 2011-06-01
• First posted: 2011-02-24
• Last updated: 2012-02-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden