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Yoga decreases HbA1c, blood glucose, lipid levels in type 2 diabetes
In adults with type 2 diabetes, yoga therapy was shown to decrease fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c, and total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol, according to a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Jie Cui, MD, MSc, of the Glorious Sun School of Business and Management at Donghua University in Shanghai, and colleagues analyzed data from 12 randomized controlled trials conducted between 1992 and 2014 involving 864 patients with type 2 diabetes assigned to yoga therapy with or without other treatments; all studies included a usual-care control group. Sample sizes ranged from 20 to 277; 11 trials were conducted in four countries, including the United Kingdom, India, Cuba and Iran; follow-up periods ranged from 15 days to 9 months. Primary outcome was fasting blood glucose; secondary outcomes included HbA1c, postprandial blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Researchers used random-effects models to calculate weighted mean differences (WMDs).
The pooled WMD for fasting blood glucose was –23.72 mg/dL (95% CI, –37.78 to –9.65). For HbA1c, WMD was –0.47% (95% CI, –0.87 to –0.07); for postprandial blood glucose, WMD was –17.38 mg/dL (95% CI, –27.88 to –6.89); for total cholesterol, WMD was –18.5 mg/dL (95% CI, –29.88 to –7.11); for LDL cholesterol, WMD was –12.95 mg/dL (95% CI, –18.84 to 7.06); for triglycerides, WMD was –12.57 mg/dL (95% CI, –29.91 to 4.76); and for HDL cholesterol, WMD was 4.3 mg/dL (95% CI, 3.25-5.36).
Heterogeneity was observed during the analyses of fasting blood glucose and HbA1c; in sensitivity and subgroup analyses, researchers found that exclusion of each of the trials did not resolve the issue or alter the combined fasting blood glucose.
“We ... believe that the heterogeneity observed across trials could be viewed as a result of clinical and methodological differences,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers also observed that non-Indian patients may derive more benefit from yoga therapy than Indian patients, which may be attributable to differences in diet and lifestyle.
“Based on the evidence, yoga significantly reduces [fasting blood glucose] levels and alters other significant clinical outcomes in patients with [type 2 diabetes],” the researchers wrote. “These results support the idea that yoga-based training is a possible alternative exercise for [type 2 diabetes] management. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.