This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in women, rises sharply with menopause. There is growing evidence that the practice of yoga may offer a safe and cost-effective strategy for reducing risk factors for CVD. However, rigorous studies in Western populations are few and the effects of yoga on CVD risk profiles in healthy postmenopausal women have not been studied. This study will investigate the effects of a gentle 8-week yoga program on insulin resistance and related indices of cardiovascular risk in healthy postmenopausal women aged 50-70. Sixty eligible, sedentary volunteers will be randomized into yoga or control (usual care) groups. Before and after the 8-week treatment period, fasting blood samples will be collected, and specific markers of CVD risk will be measured. These will include measures of insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, as well as lipid profiles;heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability;body size and composition, and other related physiological and psychological markers of CVD risk. This exploratory pilot study may yield important information on the potential utility of yoga in preventing CVD in postmenopausal women, a population at increased risk for this and other related serious chronic disorders. Findings of this study will also provide preliminary data to support a larger clinical trial investigating the influence of yoga practice on indices of CVD risk in women post-menopause.
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