A new study revealed by the European Society of Cardiology – which represents more than 95,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean – shows that yoga improves the quality of life in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the irregular rhythm of the heart.

AF episodes can last anywhere from two days to a week, according to Maria Wahlström, a nurse and Ph.D. candidate at Sophiahemmet University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and part of the study team.

They are accompanied by chest pain, dyspnoea and dizziness. “These symptoms are unpleasant and patients feel anxious, worried and stressed that an AF episode will occur,” Wahlström added.
Although there are no known cures for the condition, light movements, deep breathing and meditation are found to help patients with their stress levels and anxiety. “We think that mind and body are working together and that you can ‘control’ your feelings better after this yoga program,” she explained to HCB News.

Atrial fibrillation affects one and a half to two percent of the general population, making it the most common cardiac rhythm disorder in the developed world.

In the study, 80 patients were randomly divided into a control group who did not do yoga and a group who did do yoga for one hour, once a week, for 12 weeks.

Quality of life, heart rate and blood pressure were measured in all the patients at the beginning and end of the study using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), which evaluates individual patients’ health status, and the EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which evaluates mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.

At the end of the study, it was found that the yoga group scored higher in the mental health category, and had a lower heart rate and blood pressure than the control group.

“It could be that the deep breathing balances the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system, leading to less variation in heart rate,” stated Wahlström.

To further expand on this study, 140 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation will be divided into three groups – yoga, music relaxation and control group. The addition of music relaxation is to clarify whether relaxation is the reason behind the findings, or if the deep breathing and movements of yoga also contribute to the results.

There are currently more than 100 clinics in Sweden which offer Mediyoga to their patients, according to Wahlström.

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