Effect of yoga practice in reducing blood pressure, platelet blood count, and proteinuria in pregnant women with mild preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective: In determining the effects of yoga practice on mild preeclampsia, this study examines the blood pressure, blood platelet (PLT) count, and proteinuria status in pregnant women over 20 weeks of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This research is an experimental study with a pre–post intervention design. We collected forty pregnant women with mild preeclampsia from all populations. All participants agreed to practice 30 min of yoga every week for 1 month. The blood pressure, the blood PLT count, and proteinuria were measured before and after the yoga intervention. The statistical analysis used the t-test for the blood PLT count variable, the McNemar test for the proteinuria variable, and the Wilcoxon test for the blood pressure variable. Results: The results showed a decrease in systole blood pressure from 134.17 ± 7.17 mmHg before a yoga intervention to 120 ± 4.17 mmHg after yoga intervention (P < 0.001) and a decrease in diastole blood pressure from 89.58 ± 5.5 mmHg before the intervention to 79.38 ± 4.25 mmHg after the intervention (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in blood PLT count (P = 0.104) and proteinuria (P = 0.063) before and after a yoga intervention in pregnant women with mild preeclampsia patients. Conclusions: Yoga exercise during pregnancy (upper 20 weeks of gestation) significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure in mild preeclampsia patients.