‘Pranayam brought my BP down in 3 months’

LUCKNOW: * I suffered cardiac arrest in 2014 because of poor lung function. My lungs were working only 24%. In 2015, it improved to 42% with medicines and breathing exercises. – M K Singh, retired government officer
* I was diagnosed with diabetes and blood pressure in 1998. Medicines failed and eventually I had cardiac problems. In 2007, I started pranayam and within three months, blood pressure normalised.Blood glucose level and cardiac condition improved. I am on medicines but feel healthier now. —Rosie Singh, 54, degree college teacher
The two cases prove what researchers at King George’s Medical University found scientifically. “Six months long yoga regime reduced heart rate, body fat percentage, total cholesterol and other things after regular yogic exercises,” said Neena Srivastava, who headed research published in a science journal.
Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease and hypertension were referred by KGMU’s cardiology department. They practised yoga for 30-45 minutes five days. American Heart association promotes yoga for therapy to cardiac patients and for prevention of cardiac diseases. “Yoga helps keep blood pressure low and saves heart from disease,” reads the website. “Yoga increases body’s capacity of oxygenation,” believes Dr Kausar Usman, faculty in medicine department, KGMU, adding that benefits may extend to other areas of medical sciences.
Retired bank cashier Arun Shukla was diagnosed with bronchial asthma in 1985. “It landed me in hospital several times, until I discovered yoga and started with 15 minutes increasing it gradually to two hours a day. My BP normalised after three months and asthma and all breathing problems went away in four months,” he said.