Yoga 'significantly reduces' blood pressure in pre-hypertensive patients, claims study
New Delhi, Jan 1: Six months of yoga lifestyle "significantly reduces" blood pressure in pre-hypertensive patients, a new study by doctors at a city hospital has claimed.
The study, recently published in the Journal of Hypertension, was conducted by researchers from the Department of Neurophysiology of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH).
"It was a randomised study of 120 patients to study the effect of yoga lifestyle on ambulatory blood pressure in patients with high normal blood pressure (prehypertension)," the hospital said in a statement.
The patients were divided into two groups -- Group A (yoga), who were assigned to practice yoga an intensive lifestyle modification; while patients in the Group B (conventional) were prescribed the conventional lifestyle modifications (exercise, diet, smoking cessation), it said.
"Twenty-four hour diastolic BP particularly the night diastolic and mean arterial pressures showed a significant decrease from the baseline in the yoga group compared to the conventional group, whose members underwent lifestyle modifications at 12 weeks," said Nandini Agarwal, author of the study.
"This study has convincingly demonstrated that yoga intervention in patients with prehypertension can significantly reduce blood pressure," Agarwal claimed.
M Gourie Devi, Chairperson, Department of Neurophysiology at the SGRH, said, "Hypertension is a major public health problem throughout the world with over one in five adults affected worldwide and this is likely to increase to 29.2 per cent by 2025."
Pre-hypertension is a precursor of clinical hypertension and is closely related with the increased incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Devi said.
Sandeep Joshi, co-author of the study, said, "Patients with prehypertension (120- 139 / 80-89 mmHg) have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared with patients who have normal blood pressure (less than 120/80 mmHg)."
The yogic practices that were followed in the study were, health rejuvenating exercises, asanas, breathing and relaxation exercises and meditation, the hospital said.
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2024 recorded as India's warmest year since 1901: IMD
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed on Wednesday that 2024 was the warmest year on record in India since 1901, with an annual mean temperature of 25.75°C, exceeding the long-term average (1991-2020) by 0.65°C. The previous record, set in 2016, had an anomaly of 0.54°C, making the temperature increase in 2024 significantly notable.
The last quarter of the year (October to December) also marked the warmest period ever recorded, with October 2024 standing out as the warmest individual month in 123 years.
Globally, 2024 broke records as the warmest year, surpassing the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels for the first time, as per the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This milestone followed 2023's previous global record of a 1.45°C temperature rise.
Rainfall in January is expected to exceed normal levels across northern India and the country as a whole, potentially benefiting rabi crops if distribution remains consistent. However, parts of northwest India, the northeast, and central regions may experience normal to below-normal rainfall.
Further, IMD's outlook for January 2025 predicts "above normal" minimum temperatures across most of India, except for parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and eastern regions like Bihar, where temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal. However, "above-normal cold wave days" are anticipated in western and northern parts of central India.
Regarding Prayagraj's Maha Kumbh festival (January 13-February 26), IMD Chief M Mohapatra indicated that minimum temperatures might be colder than average, though detailed forecasts will be issued closer to the event.
