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Yoga practices that included both postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation were associated with the greatest declines in blood pressure. The degree to which blood pressure changes were observed depended on the type of yoga practiced, but not the length of time of practice. People who practiced yoga showed greater declines in... blood pressure compared to those who received no treatment at all, but not those who exercised or were receiving other forms of treatment. The overall level of reductions in blood pressure was similar to that of exercise, and other recommended lifestyle changes including reducing the sodium and alcohol consumption. The authors pointed to a number of issues common to yoga research that still need to be understood. Some of these include high drop-out rates, considerable inconsistency in the types of yoga practices that are used as therapy, a lack of comparison or control groups, poor measurement quality and a general lack of scientific rigor. While these issues are problematic and suggest a need for future studies of higher quality, the authors believe that these preliminary findings suggest that regular yoga practice can be of benefit for individuals with hypertension.Read More