Impact of yoga on haemodynamic function in healthy medical students / Impacto del yoga en la función hemodinámica de estudiantes de medicina saludables

OBJECTIVES: Yoga improves cardiovascular health in both healthy individuals and those with diagnosed heart disease. This study compares changes in some cardiovascular parameters before and after the practice of Yoga in healthy medical students. METHODS: Sixty-four healthy medical students (57 females and 7 males), mean age 21.3 ±2.6 years, attending a Special Study Module 'Role of Dhyana Yoga in Stress Management', participated in this study. Systolic (SYS) and Diastolic (DIA) blood pressure, Heart Rate (HR), Stroke Volume (SV), Cardiac output (CO), Total Peripheral Resistance (TPR), Interbeat Interval (IBI), Left Ventricular Ejection Time (LVET), Arterial Compliance (Cwk) and Ascending Aorta Impedance (Zao) were measured before and after six weeks of yogic exercises. Various exercises included asanas (Postures), pranayama (Breathing), and dhyana (Meditation). Data were analyzed using Statafor WindowsTM. RESULTS: Two-tailed paired t-test revealed that practice ofyoga caused significant increases in HR (p < 0.05), SV (p < 0.01), CO (p < 0.001) and Cwk (p < 0.01) and decreases in TPR (p < 0.001), IBI (p < 0.05) and Zao (p < 0.001) after practising yoga for 6 weeks as compared to before yoga practice. No significant differences were, however, observed in SYS, DIA, Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and LVET. CONCLUSIONS: Practice of yoga even for a short period showed ability to improve most of the cardiovascular functions. Regular practice ofyoga for a longer period may further improve these functions and possibly result in improved management oftheir daily stress.

OBJETIVOS: El yoga mejora la salud cardiovascular tanto en individuos sanos como aquellos con diagnóstico de enfermedad cardíaca. Este estudio compara cambios en algunos parámetros cardiovasculares antes y después de la práctica del yoga en estudiantes de medicina saludables. MÉTODOS: Sesenta y cuatro estudiantes de medicina saludables (57 mujeres y 7 hombres), con una edad promedio de 21,3 ± 2.6 años, que asistían a un módulo especial de estudio "Papel de DhyanaYoga en el manejo del estrés", participaron en este estudio. Antes y después de seis semanas de ejercicios yoga, se midieron la presión arterial sistólica (SIS) y diastólica (DIA), ritmo cardíaco (RC), volumen sistólico de eyección (VS), gasto cardíaco (GC), resistencia periférica total (RPT), tiempo de intervalos interpulsos o interlatidos cardiacos (IBI), tiempo de eyección ventricular izquierda (TEVI), distensibilidad arterial Windkessel (Cwk) y la impedancia de la aorta ascendente (Zao). Los diversos ejercicios incluyeron asanas (posturas), pranayama (respiración) y dhyana (meditación). Se analizaron los datos usando Stata de Windows. RESULTADOS: La prueba T pareado de dos colas, reveló que la práctica del yoga causaba importantes aumentos del RC (p < 0,05), VS (p < 0,01), GC (p < 0,001) y Cwk (p < 0,01) y disminuciones de RTP comparación con la situación antes de la práctica de yoga. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias significativas en SIS, DIA, MAP y TEVI. CONCLUSIONES: La práctica del yoga incluso durante un corto período mostró capacidad para mejorar la mayoría de las funciones cardiovasculares. La práctica regular del yoga por un período más largo puede mejorar aún más estas funciones, y posiblemente traer como resultado una mejoría en el manejo del estrés cotidiano.

An extract of neem leaves reduces anxiety without causing motor side effects in an experimental model / Un extracto de hojas de neem reduce la ansiedad sin causar efectos colaterales motores en un modelo experimental

Anxiety modulation often requires pharmaceutical intervention, and though effective in the short term, benzodiazepines may cause impaired motor function. As a potential alternative, anxiety-modulating effects of a neem leaf (Azadirachta indica, A Juss) extract were investigated using ethological analysis of rat behaviour on an elevated X maze and compared with diazepam treatment. Sexually immature female Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.07 or 7 mg/kg neem leaf steroidal extract, a sham injection, a 1% DMSO/saline vehicle, 2 mg/kg diazepam or no treatment one hour prior to a recorded five-minute exploration of the elevated X maze. Neem matched diazepam in anxiety reduction as both treatments caused a decrease in per cent protected stretched-attend postures (PPSAP). Neem treatment had no effect on closed arm entries or total rears, distinguishing it pharmacologically from diazepam which resulted in a predictable decrease in those locomotor measures. Whereas both neem and diazepam reduced anxiety in complex ethological behavioural indices, only neem produced anxiolysis without motor deficiency.

La modulación de la ansiedad requiere a menudo la intervención farmacéutica, y aunque eficaz a corto plazo, las benzodiazepinas pueden afectar la función motora. Como una alternativa potencial, los efectos moduladores de la ansiedad obtenidos a partir de un extracto de la hoja de neem (Azadirachta indica, A Juss), fueron investigados mediante análisis etiológico del comportamiento de ratas en un laberinto x elevado, y comparados con el tratamiento con diazepam. Ratas Sprague-Dawley hembras, sexualmente inmaduras, recibieron 0.07 ó 7 mg/kg de extracto esteroidal de hojas de neem, una inyección simulada, un vehículo salino de DMSO al 1%, 2 mg/kg de diazepam o ningún tratamiento una hora antes de registrarse una exploración de cinco minutos en el laberinto X elevado. El neem igualó al diazepam en la reducción de ansiedad, ya que ambos tratamientos causaron una disminución en las posturas de atención extremada protegida porcentual (PPSAP). El tratamiento de Neem no tuvo efecto sobre las entradas al brazo cerrado o actividades aéreas (con las patas traseras) distinguiéndose así farmacológicamente del diazepam que producía una disminución predecible en esas medidas locomotoras. Si bien tanto el neem como el diazepam reducían la ansiedad en los índices conductuales etológicos complejos, solamente el neem producía ansiolisis sin deficiencias motoras.

Role of yoga in stress management

The state of the mind and that of the body are intimately related. If the mind is relaxed, the muscles in the body will also be relaxed. Stress produces a state of physical and mental tension. Yoga, developed thousands of years ago, is recognized as a form of mind-body medicine. In yoga, physical postures and breathing exercises improve muscle strength, flexibility, blood circulation and oxygen uptake as well as hormone function. In addition, the relaxation induced by meditation helps to stabilize the autonomic nervous system with a tendency towards parasympathetic dominance. Physiological benefits which follow, help yoga practitioners become more resilient to stressful conditions and reduce a variety of important risk factors for various diseases, especially cardio-respiratory diseases

Thyroid-Gonad relationship in systemic lupus erythematosus

Thirty women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were examined to assess the thyroid-gonad relationship. Significant decreases in mean serum tri-iodo-thyronine and testerone levels and increases in mean serum estradiol and luteinizing hormone levels were observed in SLE patients as compared to control subjects. The serum levels of thyroxine, thyrotropin, tri-iodo-thyronine uptake, free thyroxine index and prolactin were, however, not significantly different in both groups. The interpretation of these findings is unclear but SLE could be regarded as one of the nonthyroidal systematic illness since low serum tri-iodo-thyrotropin levels were observed in our patients. Furthermore, high levels of estradiol and low levels of testosterone in our female patients may indicate involvement of sex steroids in the pathogenesis of SLE.