A first-ever study of its kind revealed that practising yoga post a heart attack might help reduce the risk of another attack by 50%. The study was carried out on about 4000 patients from 24 hospitals across the country for a period of five years. In India, very few private centres provide cardiac rehabilitation for people who have had a heart attack. Yoga is now being seen as a cheaper, more affordable alternative to cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Dr Ambuj Roy, one of the authors of the study said, "It is the first and biggest study done in the world which has shown that a yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation is safe and feasible for post-MI patients. With proper yoga practice for three months, patients in the Yoga-CaRe significantly improved their quality of life and returned to pre-infarct daily activities." The Yoga-CaRe group involved three health rejuvenating exercises, 15 postures, five breathing and meditative techniques. Whereas an Enhanced Standard Care group received three sessions educational information.
Dr Prabhakaran said, "The quality of life in Yoga-CaRe group was higher than in controlled enhanced standard group. Yoga is very much effective to achieve greater quality of life. Mediation and breathing reduces stress, yogic postures are as good as any other physical activity and yoga is a healthy way of living lifestyle modifications. So, in India, there is a need of developing cost-effective cardiac rehabilitations which should be filled by Yogacare," he said.