Abstract

MODULATION OF HYPER REACTIVITY TO COLD PRESSOR TEST AFTER 6 WEEK SHITALI PRANAYAM IN YOUNG HEALTHY MEDICAL STUDENTS.

Rampalliwar Sanjeev, *Rajak Chanda and Shiralkar Millind

ABSTRACT

Background: The present age of speed and competition has increased the stresses and strains of life. Man is subjected to these stresses during the day to day activities and as a result, stress related problems like essential hypertension, angina, psychoneurosis, gastric ulcer, asthma and insomnia very commonly occur. Abnormalities of the sympathovagal balance, added to the stress, lead to major cardiovascular dysfunctions like ischaemic heart diseases and hypertension. There are evidences that pranayama training produces a deep psychosomatic relaxation[1,2] and an increase in the cardiorespiratory efficiency[3], and the autonomic functions[4]. Aims & Objective: The aim of present study was to investigate whether regular practice of Shitali Pranayama for 6 weeks can reduce the cardiovascular hyper-reactivity induced by cold pressor test. Materials and methods: The study group comprised 60 healthy subjects of 18 - 25 years age group. At the start of the study, there were 22 hyper-reactors to cold pressor test. The hyper-reactivity of 13 volunteers converted to hypo-reactivity after the yoga therapy of 8 weeks. (59.09 %). Other parameters like basal blood pressure, rise in blood pressure after cold pressor test, pulse rate Rate Pressure Product (RPP) and mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) were also statistically significantly reduced. Result: Regular practice of Shitali Pranayama for just 6 weeks can, significantly reduce the values of basal blood pressure, cardiovascular hyper-reactivity to cold stress, heart rate, rate pressure product and Mean arterial pressure. Conclusions: Non-pharmacological methods like yoga, meditation, diet, weight reduction and life style modification should been encouraged to control the modifiable risk factors. The cardiovascular parameters are slower in persons ageing with regular yoga practice. It can thus be concluded that the incorporation of yoga as part of our life style may be useful in prevention of stress–related cardiovascular complications.

Keywords: Stress, Shitali Pranayam, Rate pressure product, Mean Arterial Pressure, Cold pressor test.