A randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of yoga to an active control on ambulatory blood pressure in individuals with Pre- and Stage 1 Hypertension

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of yoga to an active control (non-aerobic exercise) in individuals with preand Stage 1 hypertension. A randomized clinical trial was performed using two arms: 1) yoga and 2) active control. Primary outcomes were 24-hour, day and night ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Within-group and between-group analyses were performed using paired t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs (time x group), respectively. Eighty-four participants enrolled with 68 participants completing the trial. Withingroup analyses found 24-hour diastolic, night diastolic, and mean arterial pressure all significantly reduced in the yoga group (−3.93, −4.7, −4.23 mmHg, respectively) but no significant withingroup changes in the active control group. Direct comparisons of the yoga intervention to the control group found a single blood pressure variable (diastolic night) to be significantly different (p =.038). This study has demonstrated that a yoga intervention can lower blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension. Although this study was not adequately powered to show between-group differences, the size of the yoga-induced blood pressure reduction we observed appears to justify performing a definitive trial of this intervention to test whether it can provide meaningful therapeutic value for the management of hypertension.