BACKGROUND
The compromised quality of life is a well-documented consequence of hypothyroidism. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Scientific Yoga Module (SYM) – a set-out protocol as an adjunct yoga intervention in improving the physiological and psychological well-being of people treated for hypothyroidism.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of six months of adjunct SYM on the improvement of the quality of life of patients with clinical hypothyroidism along with a secondary aim of comparing the physiological and psychological changes between the yoga intervention group and waitlist control group by assessing thyroid profile, blood pressure, body mass index, perceived stress levels, fatigue levels, and personality scales.
METHODS
This study was a single-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted for a period of six months on 134 patients (mean age, 45 SD (9.15) years) with clinical hypothyroidism randomized to either an adjunct yoga intervention or usual care. The participants received yoga intervention through tele-mode in their home settings. We recruited the participants through registries of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA) from the period 2013 to 2021. All the participants were assessed at three time points i.e., pre-interim-post for the trial conducted from 1st April 2022 to 30th September 2022. Multivariate Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance was performed for data analysis. Data was collected for the primary measure of SF36-health related quality of life scale {HRQOL} along with secondary measures of biochemical test of thyroid profile [thyroxine {T4}, triiodothyronine {T3} and thyroid-stimulating hormone {TSH}], blood pressure {BP}, body mass index {BMI}, perceived stress scale {PSS}, fatigue assessment scale {FAS} and Gita inventory of personality scale {GIP}.
RESULTS
The result reveals significant improvement in the yoga intervention group on the primary and secondary variables post-intervention compared to the waitlist control group with statistical significance at P <.001. The findings were further correlated with socio-demographic characteristics and comorbidities using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0.
CONCLUSIONS
SYM imparted through tele-mode for a duration of six months appears to work on varied symptoms at physical, psychological, and emotional states leading to improved overall well-being and quality of life of hypothyroid patients. None of the subjects reported any adverse events during the study period.
CLINICALTRIAL
CTRI/2022/03/041047
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT
RR2-DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101157