Yoga: Yoga and lifestyle changes lower risk of type 2 diabetes | Delhi News

NEW DELHI: A structured yoga programme combined with standard lifestyle changes may significantly reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the latter alone, a study published in 'Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Studies and Reviews' has found.
Five medical institutions participated in the study, one of which was the Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Center of the University of Medicine at GTB Hospital. The study produced some interesting results. The study focused on the progression from prediabetes to diabetes over a period of three years.
The findings of the study showed that “18.9% of people with prediabetes who received lifestyle modifications alone developed diabetes by the end of the study.” In contrast, when lifestyle modifications were combined with yoga, the proportion of people who developed diabetes was significantly lower: “11.5% of people who received both lifestyle modifications and yoga.”
V Madhu of GTB Hospital, lead researcher of the study, said the findings suggest that a combination of yoga and lifestyle modification may be more effective in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes than relying on lifestyle modification alone. The results highlight the potential benefits of incorporating yoga into diabetes prevention strategies, and yoga appears to enhance the effectiveness of standard lifestyle measures in reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
The global and Indian burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is enormous: India has over 77 million people with diabetes, more than the number of people with pre-diabetes, who are at significantly higher risk of developing T2D.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term effects of practicing yoga in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. This randomized controlled trial is the first of its kind with sufficient statistical power to evaluate a structured yoga intervention for preventing type 2 diabetes over a 3-year period.
The study enrolled 974 participants aged 30-70 years with a BMI of at least 23 kg/m2. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: 488 to the yoga plus lifestyle group (Group 1) and 486 to the lifestyle only group (Group 2).
According to the researchers, the study showed that yoga was particularly beneficial for participants with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or HbA1c levels above 6%.
The beneficial effects of yoga in preventing diabetes may be due to several factors. Chronic psychological stress has been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, and these effects are thought to be mediated by chronic activation of the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA). Yoga has been shown to be effective in managing stress, reducing depression and anxiety in healthy individuals, significantly improving scores on various psychological assessments of type 2 diabetes, and positively influencing the HPA.
Additionally, yoga asanas have been shown to have the ability to modulate gene expression, increasing muscle activity, strength, endurance and flexibility, with positive effects on obesity and insulin resistance. Improved blood supply to muscles and muscle relaxation are thought to increase glucose absorption. Stretching the abdominal muscles during yoga asanas is thought to stimulate beta cell regeneration and improve sensitivity to glucose, both of which are thought to increase insulin secretion. Finally, the immunomodulatory effects of reducing inflammation and the effect of reducing oxidative stress are also thought to contribute to yoga's benefits in preventing diabetes.

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