Ashwinkumar Chandrashekarapuram Swaminathan, Rajkumar Rajamanickam, Dhanalakshmi Chokkalingam, Bobby Gunasekaran, Uma Palanisamy, Kumaran Badri, Ibnu Noufal Kambitta Valappil, Debajit Karmakar, Ronni Yenes, Karuppasamy Govindasamy
Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with increased cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. While yoga and music therapy have shown individual benefits in cardiovascular health, their combined effect on inflammatory markers remains unexplored. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week combined yoga and music therapy intervention on inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) and blood pressure parameters in middle-aged hypertensive men. In this randomized controlled trial, 72 hypertensive men (mean age 42.3±6.4 years) were randomized to either a combined yoga and music therapy intervention (n=36) or control group (n=36). The intervention group participated in structured yoga sessions combined with music therapy for 12 weeks, while the control group received standard care. Primary outcomes included changes in inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) and blood pressure measurements. Following the 12-week intervention, the yoga and music therapy group showed significant reductions in inflammatory markers compared to controls: hs-CRP (-1.50±0.55 vs -0.2±0.3 mg/L, p<0.001), IL-6 (-1.45±0.45 vs -0.2±0.2 pg/mL, p<0.001), and TNF-α (-3.85±1.15 vs -0.4±0.3 pg/mL, p<0.001). Blood pressure parameters also improved significantly in the intervention group: systolic (-10.55±3.5 vs -1.6±1.1 mmHg, p<0.001) and diastolic (-7.05±2.25 vs -0.6±0.8 mmHg, p<0.001). Large effect sizes were observed across all outcomes (0.72-0.79). Combined yoga and music therapy effectively reduced inflammatory markers and blood pressure in middle-aged hypertensive men. This integrative approach shows promise as a complementary intervention in managing hypertension and associated inflammatory markers. © 2025 Montenegrin Sports Academy. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Yoga Science and Therapy, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Department of Community Medicine, Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, Kancheepuram, India; Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physical Education, Rathinamangalam, Melakottaiyur, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Y.M.C.A. College of Physical Education, Nandanam, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science University, Saveetha School of Physical Education, Department of Sports Science and Nutrition, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Tat Sat Yoga Studio & Research Centre, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Department of Physical Education and Sports, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India; Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Department of Physical Education Pedagogy, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, India; Universitas Negeri Padang, Faculty of Sport Science, Sumatera Barat, 25131, Indonesia; Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Department of Sports Recreation and Wellness, Hyderabad Campus, Telangana, Rangareddy, India
