Additional improvements seen in anxiety and depression levels
THURSDAY, April 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A mindful yoga intervention reduces testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a study published online April 14 in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Vishesha Patel, D.O., from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania, and colleagues assessed the impact of thrice-weekly mindful yoga practice on endocrine, cardiometabolic, or psychological parameters in 22 women with PCOS (aged 23 to 42 years; 13 in the mindful yoga group and nine in the control group).
The researchers found that women who completed the mindful yoga intervention had significantly lower free testosterone levels (5.96 versus 4.24 pg/mL), while dehydroepiandrosterone levels trended lower. Improved testosterone may persist for several months postintervention. There were additional improvements in measures of anxiety and depression.
“The improvements observed suggest that regular mindful yoga practice can be a useful complementary therapeutic option for women with PCOS, particularly for improving serum androgen levels, a hallmark feature of PCOS,” the authors write.
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