Review: Yoga benefits patients with type 2 diabetes

(HealthDay)—Yoga benefits adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a review published online July 1 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

Jie Cui, from Donghua University in Shanghai, and colleagues conducted a literature review to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of yoga in adult patients with T2DM. The primary outcome was fasting blood glucose (FBG).

The researchers identified 12 eligible studies (including 864 patients). In a meta-analysis, the pooled weighted mean differences (WMDs) were −23.72 mg/dL for FBG (P = 0.001) and −0.47 percent for glycated hemoglobin (P = 0.02). The WMDs were −17.38 mg/dL for postprandial blood glucose (P = 0.001), −18.50 mg/dL for total cholesterol (P = 0.001), 4.30 mg/dL for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.00001), −12.95 mg/dL for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.0001), and −12.57 mg/dL for triglycerides (P = 0.16).

"The available evidence suggests that yoga benefits adult patients with T2DM," the authors write. "However, considering the limited methodology and the potential heterogeneity, further studies are necessary to support our findings and investigate the long-term effects of yoga in T2DM patients."

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