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LUCKNOW: Regular yoga prastise can improve pulmonary function and bring down dependence on medicines by over 50%, a study has found.

The study, conducted jointly by department of pulmonary medicine of King George’s Medical University ( KGMU ), Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences of Lucknow University (LU) and the LU’s Biochemistry department, found that patients with mild to moderate asthma who performed yoga for around six months witnessed reduction in routine medication by 55.17%. The patients were also found to have doubled their quality of life when mapped on St George’s Respiratory questionnaire, a global index for the same.

As many as 255 patients at KGMU’S pulmonary medicine department between the ages of 12 and 60 were selected for the study. The yoga group was made to perform yoga and meditation, including a number of aasanas and pranayama for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week by a qualified yoga trainer, along with medication.

“It was not just the medication that was found to have lowered in that span, the quality of life had improved too, while lung function had become far better,” said Dr Surya Kant, head of the pulmonary medicine department, KGMU and president of the Indian Chest Society , who conducted the study. Other authors include Shruti Agnihotri and K Mishra from LU’s Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences department and R K Mishra of LU’s biochemistry department.

Dr Surya Kant said the results have prompted the department to conduct a breathing assistance yoga programme for patients and it is conducted once a week for 30 minutes by a qualified trainer.

