Regular mindful yoga practice as a method to improve androgen levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, controlled trial

Vishesha Patel, Heather Menezes, Christian Menezes, Stephanie Bouwer, Chevelta A. Bostick-Smith, Diana L. Speelman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Holistic approaches are needed to complement existing therapies for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common disorder affecting the health of reproductive-aged females. Objective: To determine whether thrice-weekly mindful yoga practice improves endocrine, cardiometabolic, or psychological parameters in women with PCOS. Methods: Thirty-one women with PCOS between the ages of 23 and 42 years and living in Erie County, Pennsylvania, were recruited for this randomized, controlled study arm, which was part of a larger 3-part investigation. Women were randomly assigned to either a mindful yoga intervention group or no intervention (control) group. Group classes were 1 hour, thrice weekly. Initial endocrine, car-diometabolic, and psychological measurements were compared with measurements taken after the 3-month intervention period. Measurements included free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, and anxiety and depression scores. Results: Twenty-two women completed the 3-month intervention period, 13 in the mindful yoga group and 9 in the control group. Paired comparisons of pre-and post-intervention parameters indicated that women who completed the mindful yoga intervention had significantly lower free testosterone levels (5.96 vs 4.24 pg/mL; P<.05) and dehydroepiandrosterone levels that trended lower. Improved testosterone may persist for several months after completion of a 3-month, thrice-weekly mindful yoga intervention. Additionally, improvements were seen in measures of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The improvements observed suggest that regular mindful yoga practice can be a useful complementary therapeutic option for women with PCOS, particu-larly for improving serum androgen levels, a hallmark feature of PCOS. This improvement occurred in the absence of weight loss and may persist even if there is a lapse in practice. (ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT03383484).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)323-335
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of the American Osteopathic Association
Volume120
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Complementary and alternative medicine

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