Anthropometric and Lipid Responses to 24 Week Yoga in College Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Central adiposity and dyslipidemia are two cardiometabolic burdens of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but anthropometric and lipid abnormalities are only loosely related, and few trials measure both across a sustained intervention.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a 24-week supervised yoga programme on waist–hip ratio (WHR) and serum total cholesterol in college women with PCOS under free-living conditions.

Methods: A single-blind, two-arm, parallel-group pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted at KL Deemed to be University, India. Of 310 students assessed for eligibility, 131 women aged 18–25 years were randomized to Yoga (n = 65) or Control (n = 66). WHR and serum total cholesterol were the co-primary outcomes. The Yoga group received supervised 60-minute sessions five days weekly for 24 weeks, incorporating Sukshma Vyayama, Om chanting, Surya Namaskar, asanas, mudras, pranayama, breath-watching meditation and a quick relaxation technique. Controls continued usual activity without additional intervention. Eleven withdrew (5 Yoga, 6 Control), leaving 120 for per-protocol analysis. Groups were compared at baseline and Week 24 using independent-samples t-tests.

Results: At Week 24, mean WHR was 0.76 versus 0.89 and mean total cholesterol 176.79 versus 193.40 mg/dL in the Yoga and Control groups (both p < .001). Relative to baseline, WHR fell 14.6% and total cholesterol 8.9% under yoga, against +1.1% and −1.0% in controls.

Conclusion: A 24-week supervised yoga programme was associated with substantially lower Week-24 WHR and total cholesterol than usual activity. Comparisons apply to group means; the magnitude of the WHR difference warrants independent replication