The Effects of a Yoga Program in Heart Failure Patients

The proposed research project is a pilot study designed to delineate the clinical outcomes associated with a modified yoga program in a population of adults with ventricular dysfunction and clinical heart failure (HF). The researchers hypothesize that patients in a modified yoga training program will have a significant improvement in clinical outcomes, functional ability, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The researchers propose to evaluate 15-20 subjects with chronic HF and New York Heart Association Functional Class (NYHA) II-III and obtain baseline physiological, functional, and HRQOL measurements. After obtaining baseline measurements, patients will participate in a modified yoga program with instruction for home practice for 8 weeks. Baseline measurements include: Vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, exercise distance, muscular strength and flexibility determination, and various indices of HRQOL. At the conclusion of 8 weeks of yoga training the same measurements will be obtained.

In a group of chronic HF patients, the specific aims are the following:

• To develop a safe and feasible yoga program;
• To determine whether clinical outcomes (vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart rate variability), functional ability (exercise distance, muscular strength and flexibility determination), and HRQOL are positively affected by a modified yoga program.

Inclusion criteria

• NYHA class I-III
• normal sinus rhythm
• able to walk
• ability to read or understand English
• age 30-75

Exclusion criteria

• cognitive impairment
• inability to consent
• 100% paced with pacemaker
• hospitalization within 3 months
• MI or recurrent angina within 6 months
• severe stenotic valve disease
• history of sudden cardiac death
• history of uncontrolled ventricular tachyarrhythmias
• pulmonary hypertension
• FEV1 less than 1 liter by spirometry
• orthopedic impediments to yoga
• medication noncompliance