Yoga may offer more than physical and mental relaxation. A new all-India study has highlighted its potential to improve the quality of life of people living with heart failure, suggesting that incorporating yoga into standard medical treatment could help patients manage their condition more effectively.
Heart failure is a serious medical condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It can cause breathlessness, fatigue, swelling in the legs, reduced physical activity and difficulty performing everyday tasks.
The study brings attention to the role of yoga as a complementary approach to cardiac rehabilitation. Its findings suggest that appropriately supervised yoga practices may help patients improve their physical functioning, emotional well-being and overall quality of life. However, experts emphasise that yoga should complement, not replace, prescribed heart failure medicines and conventional medical care.
All-India study examines yoga’s impact on heart failure
The findings come from the large-scale Yoga-CaRe HF (Yoga-based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Heart Failure) trial, which involved nearly 3,500 patients across 16 hospitals in India.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) funded the study, and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) coordinated it. Researchers presented the findings at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago on November 7, 2026.
The research focused on people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a condition in which the heart’s pumping ability is weakened. Participants were randomly divided into two groups:
A) Yoga rehabilitation group: Patients received a structured yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation programme alongside their regular medical treatment.
B) Standard care group: Patients received enhanced standard care, including health education sessions and guidance on living with heart failure. The objective was to understand whether yoga could improve patients’ quality of life, physical endurance and overall health outcomes.
Key findings: Yoga improves quality of life and physical endurance
The study reported several encouraging findings about the benefits of yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation.
1. Better quality of life: Patients who participated in the yoga programme experienced a significant improvement in their quality of life compared with those receiving enhanced standard care. Researchers used the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) to assess patients’ experiences. The yoga group recorded an approximately 8.1-point greater improvement in questionnaire scores.
This is particularly important because people with heart failure often experience fatigue, breathlessness, emotional stress and limitations in everyday activities.
2. Improved walking capacity: The study also found improvements in physical endurance. Patients in the yoga group were able to walk an average of 25.5 metres farther in the six-minute walk test compared with the control group.
This test measures how far a person can walk in six minutes and is commonly used to assess functional exercise capacity in people with heart conditions.
3. Better overall well-being: The researchers also observed improvements in quality-adjusted health measures and certain lifestyle behaviours. Participants in the yoga group showed better engagement with physical activity, dietary changes and efforts to avoid tobacco and alcohol. These improvements suggest that yoga-based rehabilitation may support a broader approach to managing heart failure.
4. No significant reduction in deaths or hospitalisation: Despite the positive findings, researchers highlighted an important limitation. The yoga programme did not produce a statistically significant reduction in the combined risk of death, hospitalisation or stroke.
The combined outcome occurred in 21% of participants in the yoga group, compared with 22.8% in the standard care group. Therefore, the findings support yoga as a complementary rehabilitation strategy rather than a treatment that can prevent major heart failure complications.
Why is this study important for India?
India faces a growing burden of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. The challenge is not limited to the number of patients but also involves access to affordable and effective rehabilitation services. Traditional cardiac rehabilitation programmes generally require specialised facilities, trained healthcare professionals and regular monitoring. Such services remain inaccessible to many patients, particularly those living outside major cities.
The study highlights three important opportunities for India’s healthcare system.
1. Affordable cardiac rehabilitation: Yoga-based rehabilitation could provide a comparatively accessible option for patients who cannot easily access specialised cardiac rehabilitation facilities.
2. Greater access to healthcare: A structured programme combining supervised sessions and home practice could help extend rehabilitation services to patients in smaller cities and rural communities.
3. Holistic patient care: Combining medical treatment, physical activity, breathing exercises, stress management and lifestyle education may help patients manage the everyday challenges of heart failure.
For a country with a large population and significant healthcare inequalities, these findings could have important implications for the future of preventive and rehabilitative healthcare.
Can yoga replace medicines for heart failure?
No. This is one of the most important messages patients should understand. Yoga cannot replace prescribed heart failure medicines, medical consultations or other recommended treatments.
Heart failure is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires appropriate medical management. Patients may need medicines to control blood pressure, reduce fluid retention, improve heart function and lower the risk of complications.
Yoga may be incorporated as an additional rehabilitation activity after consultation with a cardiologist. Patients should also avoid strenuous postures, breath-holding techniques or intense physical activity without medical clearance. The intensity and duration of practice should be adjusted according to their condition.
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