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Patients with COPD may benefit from breathing-focused yoga

According to a new meta-analysis, breathing-focused interventions of yoga may improve capacity and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The findings were published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 11 randomised controlled trials (n=586) assessing the effects of yoga on outcomes of COPD, identified through the Medline/PubMed, Scopus and CENTRAL databases.

Compared with no treatment, yoga was found to have positive effects on the quality of life as per the COPD Assessment Test (mean difference [MD], 3.81; 95% CI, 0.97-6.65; P=.009; I2=70%), exercise capacity evaluated using the six-minute walk test (MD, 25.53 m; 95% CI, 12.16-38.90 m; P<.001; I2=0%) and pulmonary function evaluated using predicted FEV1 (MD, 3.95%; 95% CI, 2.74-5.17%; P<.001; I2=0%). The observed effects were associated only with breathing-focused yoga interventions and not with other interventions including yoga postures. Reported adverse events were not frequent.

"Yoga may be an effective option for improving physical capacity and breathing parameters in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rehabilitation, " the authors concluded. They call for further research on determining the optimal content and dosage of effective yoga practice to aid clinical recommendations.


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