Rachel V Thomas

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Yoga-Based Cardiac Rehab May Offer A Low-Cost, Accessible Option For Heart Failure Patients

<span>Yoga</span> may offer more than heart health benefits. A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 suggested that yoga-based <span>cardiac</span> rehabilitation can improve quality of life and physical functioning in people living with <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/heart-failure">heart failure</a></span>.

Researchers led by the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India found that a structured yoga-based rehabilitation program improved quality of life in people with <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/heart-failure" data-type="tilCustomLink">heart failure</a> with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), compared with enhanced standard care.

However, it did not significantly reduce the combined risk of death, hospitalisation or stroke. The findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed.

<h2>Why Is Yoga-Based <span rel="noindex">Cardiac Rehab</span> Important? </h2>

<strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/international-yoga-day-2026-yoga-may-help-conditions-ranging-from-male-infertility-to-arthritis-say-aiims-doctors-article-154689022" data-type="tilCustomLink">Yoga May Help Conditions Ranging From Male Infertility to Arthritis, Say AIIMS Doctors</a>

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically guided program for people who have experienced a heart attack, heart failure or heart surgery. It combines exercise guidance, education on healthy living and counselling to help patients improve their ability to carry out daily activities and reduce the risk of further cardiac events.

However, access remains limited, and participation rates are low, particularly among women, older adults and some other population groups. 

“Cardiac rehab programs are inaccessible to many, and their uptake is poor in many countries,” said lead study author Dorairaj Prabhakaran, executive director of the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India. 

He said yoga could provide several benefits of cardiac rehabilitation at a lower cost and may be easier to scale up in countries such as India. 

The trial included 3,492 adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction across 16 medical centres in India. Participants had a median age of 57 years, and 27% were women. 

They were randomly divided into two groups: 

<ul><li>Yoga-based rehabilitation group: 1,737 participants received the <span rel="noindex">Yoga-CaRe</span> program, which combined structured yoga practices, health education and individual health goals. </li><li>Enhanced standard care group: 1,755 participants received three health education sessions over three months. </li></ul>The yoga program included 20 supervised sessions over three months, followed by one session every three months until the end of follow-up. 

At three months, participants in the yoga group showed significantly greater improvements in quality of life. Their scores on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire improved by about eight points compared with the standard care group. Lower scores on this questionnaire indicate better quality of life. 

The yoga group also showed improvements in physical functioning. Participants walked an average of 25.5 metres farther in the six-minute walking test than those receiving enhanced standard care. 

<strong>Read More: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/heart-failure-gets-a-new-definition-how-it-could-improve-prevention-diagnosis-and-treatment-article-154806738" data-type="tilCustomLink">Heart Failure Gets A New Definition: How It Could Improve Prevention, Diagnosis And Treatment</a> <h2></h2>

<h2>Did Yoga Reduce Deaths Or Hospitalizations? </h2>

Despite improvements in quality of life and physical function, yoga-based rehabilitation did not significantly reduce the combined risk of death, hospitalization or stroke.

During a median follow-up of 15 months, 364 participants (21%) in the yoga group experienced one of these events, compared with 401 (22.8%) in the standard care group. 

The researchers said the findings support the potential of yoga-based rehabilitation in settings where conventional cardiac rehabilitation is difficult to access. 

<h2>Can Yoga-Based Cardiac Rehab Be An Affordable Alternative?</h2>

Prabhakaran said the program could be scalable and sustainable, particularly in healthcare settings with limited resources.

A single board-certified yoga and naturopathy practitioner delivered the structured program, which also recorded high participation in supervised sessions and home practice. 

However, the researchers have not yet conducted a formal cost-effectiveness analysis. They said further research is needed to evaluate how the program can be implemented at scale and in other healthcare settings and countries. 

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Yoga may offer more than heart health benefits. A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 suggested that yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation can improve quality of life and physical functioning in people living with heart failure. Researchers led by the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India found that a structured yoga-based rehabilitation program improved quality of life in people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), compared with enhanced standard care. However, it did not significantly reduce the combined risk of death, hospitalisation or stroke. The findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed.Why Is Yoga-Based Cardiac Rehab Important? Also read: Yoga May Help Conditions Ranging From Male Infertility to Arthritis, Say AIIMS DoctorsCardiac rehabilitation is a medically guided program for people who have experienced a heart attack, heart failure or heart surgery. It combines exercise guidance, education on healthy living and counselling to help patients improve their ability to carry out daily activities and reduce the risk of further cardiac events. However, access remains limited, and participation rates are low, particularly among women, older adults and some other population groups. “Cardiac rehab programs are inaccessible to many, and their uptake is poor in many countries,” said lead study author Dorairaj Prabhakaran, executive director of the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India. He said yoga could provide several benefits of cardiac rehabilitation at a lower cost and may be easier to scale up in countries such as India. What Did The Study Find? The trial included 3,492 adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction across 16 medical centres in India. Participants had a median age of 57 years, and 27% were women. They were randomly divided into two groups: Yoga-based rehabilitation group: 1,737 participants received the Yoga-CaRe program, which combined structured yoga practices, health education and individual health goals. Enhanced standard care group: 1,755 participants received three health education sessions over three months. The yoga program included 20 supervised sessions over three months, followed by one session every three months until the end of follow-up. At three months, participants in the yoga group showed significantly greater improvements in quality of life. Their scores on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire improved by about eight points compared with the standard care group. Lower scores on this questionnaire indicate better quality of life. The yoga group also showed improvements in physical functioning. Participants walked an average of 25.5 metres farther in the six-minute walking test than those receiving enhanced standard care. Read More: Heart Failure Gets A New Definition: How It Could Improve Prevention, Diagnosis And Treatment Did Yoga Reduce Deaths Or Hospitalizations? Despite improvements in quality of life and physical function, yoga-based rehabilitation did not significantly reduce the combined risk of death, hospitalization or stroke. During a median follow-up of 15 months, 364 participants (21%) in the yoga group experienced one of these events, compared with 401 (22.8%) in the standard care group. The researchers said the findings support the potential of yoga-based rehabilitation in settings where conventional cardiac rehabilitation is difficult to access. Can Yoga-Based Cardiac Rehab Be An Affordable Alternative? Prabhakaran said the program could be scalable and sustainable, particularly in healthcare settings with limited resources. A single board-certified yoga and naturopathy practitioner delivered the structured program, which also recorded high participation in supervised sessions and home practice. However, the researchers have not yet conducted a formal cost-effectiveness analysis. They said further research is needed to evaluate how the program can be implemented at scale and in other healthcare settings and countries. 

yoga-based cardiac rehab may offer a low-cost, accessible option for heart failure patients

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