Healthy Heart

Yoga Gets Hearts Healthy

Hi Friends 

Recently i read some interesting news about yoga to keep your heart healthy. People had done some research on yoga and heart. I though i will share with you people. Here you go

Yoga and Meditation 3 Times a Week Improves Heart Disease Risk
By Peggy Peck
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Nov. 8, 2004 (New Orleans) -- Stretching may do more than make you limber, according to new research from Yale University School of Medicine. Findings show that people who practice yoga and meditation at least three times a week may reduce their blood pressure, pulse and -- most importantly -- their risk of heart disease.

Moreover, yoga improves heart health in both healthy individuals and those with diagnosed heart disease, says Satish Sivasankaran, MD, who conducted the study while training at Yale. He says that volunteers taking a six-week yoga-meditation program improved blood vessel function by 17%. Blood vessel function, also called endothelial function, is the way vessels contract and expand to aid blood flow and is a measure of healthy vessel function. However, study participants who had heart disease had close to a 70% improvement in endothelial function.

Endothelial function is an important indicator of atherosclerosis because as the disease and plaque build-up progresses, the blood vessels become less supple and less able to constrict and expand.

"Stress is known to increase the risk of coronary events. Both anxiety and type A behavior have been associated with coronary diseases," Sivasankaran, who is now a cardiology fellow at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass., tells WebMD. Yoga and meditation, on the other hand, are often recommended as a way to relieve stress.

The study, which was presented during the opening day of the American Heart Association's 2004 Scientific Sessions here, is the first to look at the way blood vessels respond to stress.

"The endothelial function improved in the total cohort of patients and was most dramatic in patients already diagnosed with heart disease," he explains.

And, it doesn't take years of lotus positions and meditation to see improvement -- the study volunteers had measurable improvement in just six weeks, he says. The yoga and meditation program included 40 minutes of postural yoga, 20 minutes of deep relaxation, 15 minutes of yoga breathing, and 15 minutes of meditation.

The study enrolled 33 patients, 30% of whom had heart disease. The study required them to practice yoga and meditation for an hour and a half at least three times a week. More than 60% of the volunteers were men and the average age of the study participants was 55.

The researchers monitored blood pressure, pulse, body mass index (BMI, an indirect measure of body fat used to measure weight), and cholesterol levels at the beginning of the study and again after six weeks.

The researchers used an ultrasound to measure the blood flow in an artery of the arm, he explains.

Yoga Improves Blood Pressure

At the beginning of the study the average blood pressure was 130/79 mmHg. The American Heart Association says that a normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mmHg. After six weeks the average blood pressure reading was 125/74 mmHg, which was a significant decrease with yoga and meditation classes. The volunteers also had a modest reduction in BMI -- from 29 to 28, and they "had an average reduction in pulse rate of nine beats per minute," he says.

While people with heart disease had the biggest improvement in blood vessel function, that improvement "was independent of any improvements in blood pressure," he says. And after six weeks it was the healthy patients who posted the biggest improvements in blood pressure, pulse rate, and BMI.

"Even with a small number of patients for a short period of time there was a benefit of yoga and meditation seen in people with heart disease," he says. He says, however, that the researchers don't know the mechanism involved in that benefit, which means that more study is needed.

Gerald F. Fletcher, MD, a cardiovascular disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville, tells WebMD that "it is probably exercise. There are several studies that suggest that exercise -- any kind of exercise -- improves oxygen consumption, which improves endothelial function." Fletcher, who was not involved in the study, is a spokesman for the AHA.

"I'm not sure that meditation has a specific benefit, but if combining meditation with exercise will get people to exercise, then I'm all for it. But the most important message is that exercise works," Fletcher says.

YOGA MIRACLES

Open Your Heart To Yoga - Yoga For Heart Diseases

Coronary Heart/arterial Disease, CAD, simply means suffering of heart muscles due to short supply of oxygen.When heart muscles suffer, doctors would sometimes recommend treatment using cord blood. It occurs when arteries get constricted by plaques (semi solid emulsion of LDP and calcium). With this restricted passage for oxygen rich blood, heart needs to pump more, further straining itself.

Before dealing with yoga for heart disease and different yoga poses for fitness let us examine the causes and symptoms of the disease and how does yoga prevent disease helping to improve health. In certain hospitals, they perform Cord Blood Banking Service where they collect the cord blood and menstrual blood and store it.The cord blood stem cells are responsible for producing all of the mature cells in our blood and immune system.
Causes And Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease

Build up of plaque inside coronary arteries hardens them to a condition known as atherosclerosis. Hypertension, smoking, and high cholesterol (LDL) all contribute to this and in turn, CAD. CAD develops over a long time. Since it is a long process, people miss the symptoms till they are around 50 years of age. Chest pain (angina), short breaths characterize CAD. Unfortunately for some people, heart attack could be the first sign of CAD.
Who Are Affected By CAD?

Men and women of both ages are known to get affected by CAD. But usually men are at risk after age 45 and women after 55 years of age (post menopause). Statistics show 50% of men and 63% of women of over 50 years, die from heart attack due to CAD. "If you have CAD and need coronary artery bypass surgery, research doctors who have a lot of experience."

Those who have a family history are at risk even at young age.
Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors

Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, bad cholesterol above 240 mg/dL (LDL) are the risk factors. Heredity is also a major risk.
How Does Yoga Help In Combating This Disease?

A study, published in Journal of The Association of Physicians of India (JAPI), establishes the reversibility of heart disease through yoga. Study was on angiographic ally proven CAD patients, of whom 71 formed the study group and 42 the control group. And the results proved that the serum total cholesterol levels had reduced by 23.3%, disease had regressed in 43.7% and progression was arrested in another 46.5% of the patients. Some marked improvements were noticed in anxiety levels of patients. Controlled yoga combining calming and stimulating measures resulted in reduced serum cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels.

Yoga Poses for Heart Health

The concept of yoga for heart disease is in currency for long. Of late, it is getting better coinage following concerted studies which have shown how symptoms of coronary artery disease have been reduced.

Kapalabhati Breathing

Kapalabhati breathing is a pranayama technique. Kapalabhati requires that you breathe in rapid succession while consciously controlling the movements of the diaphragm (a membrane separating abdomen from chest.) This exercises the entire respiratory system forcing higher oxygen absorption in a short time. This ensures richer blood to reach cardiovascular muscles regardless of its quantity, thus removing the major complaint.
Yoga Mountain Pose

Tadasana, a completely balanced standing posture is the foundation for all asanas which start from standing. Touch your heels and big toes to each other with weight balanced evenly on metatarsals (bones in foot) and toes spread. Stiffen and pull-up calf muscles, knee caps, thighs and hips. Take stomach in; expand chest, neck and spine. Release fingers, drop hands straight and keep them stiff.

Yoga Pranayama Exercises help cure Heart Diseases.

Bhastrika Pranayam is deep breathing exercise. After taking position or even sitting straight on a chair, take deep breaths by expanding the stomach and chest. When nearing the end of the breath intake extend your arms sideways. This helps to get more oxygen into the expanded lungs. Hold the breath briefly, then release it through the nose sharply. It benefits the heart, lungs, brain, depression, migraine, paralysis, neural system, aabha.

Kapal Bhatti Yoga breathing helps greatly. Push breath out and pull in the stomach repeatedly. Scientic studies have shown blood cholestrol level to decrease on an average by as much as 23%. Blockages in the arteries of the heart are removed and the arteries become clean, making the circulation unimpeded. If this Pranayama is practiced for 3 or 4 months regularly, 30 to 40% of blockages in the arteries are dissolved and removed, preventing the phenomenon of heart attack. Pathogenic cholesterol, triglycerides, H.D.L. and L.D.L. are controlled. Do it for 5-15 minutes per day.

Accupressure:

When resting between exercises, you can apply accupressure.

1. Left Hand, little Finger. Press repeatedly just below the little finger, slightly to the left and near your life line.
2. Left Hand, little Finger Press just below the nail
3. Left Hand, Finger next to the Little Finger. Press the top one-third segment repeatedly.

Shortage of Oxygen supply to the heart muscles causes problems and is called Heart Disease - Coronary. Blood vessels are blocked, heart valve give problems. With Yoga Pranayama Exercises and control of food, there is no need for operations. The heart diseases can be cured and the heart becomes normal and blockages are cleared.

Following are known to aggravate Coronary Artery Diseases and cause serious heart problems:-

Smoking. According to WHO 25% of the heart diseases are due to to smoking. 

Stay away from smoking, gutka and other tobacco products. Smoking causes also cancer in the mouth, throat and Chest.
Avoid alcohal. Drinking alcohal causes cirrhosis of the liver
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes Mellitus
High Cholestrol, above 240 mg/dL (LDL)
Heredity too is a factor beyond your control.

Coronary Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease, referred to as CAD), is responsible for 25-30% of the deaths in Western World.

Breathing

BODY COOLING THROUGH BREATHING:


As per the request from one of our blog members, here i explain in detail with the pictures for cooling exercises in yoga.


Shitali Pranayama


This breath cools the body so it is best done in hot weather or at the end or at the beginning of a vigorous yoga session.


1. Come to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
2. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.
3. Roll the tongue, curling the sides in towards the center to form a tube as shown. Stick the end of the tongue out between your pursed lips. If you can’t roll your tongue, just purse the lips making a small “o” shape with the mouth.

4. Inhale through the tube of the tongue.
5. Exhale through the nose.
6. Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect.


Alternate Way of doing this exercise is 


1. Come to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
2. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.
3. Roll the tongue horizontally as shown below with the help of your upper teeth. Keep 1cm open so that air can pass inside your mouth.

4. Inhale through the sides of the tongue. close your mouth.
5. Exhale through the nose.
6. Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect.


Final one by showing teeth 


1. Come to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
2. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.
3. Smile as shown below by showing your teeth.

4. Inhale through your mouth opened with that position itself.
5. Exhale through the nose.
6. Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect.


Hope this helps you and thanks for your comments. Let me know if you have any questions or need any more details.