Quieting Atrial Fibrillation with Yoga

Atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, can be difficult to treat and frustrating for both patients and their physician.  

One remarkable study focuses on a type of treatment that deserves attention. Investigators tested an innovative treatment:  yoga—and the results were strikingly positive:

• Patients with episodic bursts of atrial fibrillation were studied for 3 months before yoga and during 3 months of yoga sessions (60 minutes twice a week).

• Yoga was associated with 45% fewer outbursts of atrial fibrillation.

• Were there side effects? Absolutely—a significant reduction in anxiety and depression were noted with yoga!

These findings are completely in line with what we already know about yoga.

Yoga has been shown to reduce the “traffic” of the stimulating circuits in the involuntary nervous system. As a result, yoga lowers blood pressure and reduces inflammation.

Placing the results in perspective, it’s important to keep in mind that yoga was used in addition to ongoing medication. Yoga was not intended to replace other medicines or procedures used to control irregular heart beats or prevent blood clots that can form with atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, there are no proven replacements for these kinds of medications.

Still, as an add-on to other medical therapy for atrial fibrillation, yoga might be just what the doctor ordered. Ask yours!

Reference: Effects of Yoga in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation