Recorded presentation

Adam Burke, PhD, MPH, LAc, Health Education/Institute for Holistic Healing Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, 415-338-1174, aburke@sfsu.edu

The practice of yoga includes physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation. Still widely practiced by millions throughout India, dramatic growth in the US is evident, with an estimated 18 million people now practicing. Its importance as a significant CAM modality is also becoming evident. A search of the NLM database produced over 600 articles with the keyword ‘Yoga’. Although the majority of these studies suffer from methodological flaws, well designed randomized, controlled trials provide evidence for the utility of yoga in treating a variety of major health concerns.

One area in which yoga has shown promise is in the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes is a major health problem in India, China and the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that diabetes, primarily type 2, affects 4% of the world’s adult population, 135 million people. If current trends continue they anticipate that number to essentially double, growing to 300 million people by 2025 (122% growth). India now has the largest population of diabetics internationally, 19 million. China is second, and the US ranks third with 12 million diabetics. In the US it is estimated that the direct medical costs of diabetes have risen from $44 billion in 1997 to $92 billion in 2002, an average of $13,000 in healthcare costs for each diabetic. Finding cost-effective solutions to this growing health concern is critical. Yoga may be a positive option. The author’s experience with a new international yoga and diabetes research collaboration between the US and India will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to list three major illnesses for which there is reasonable evidence for yoga’s efficacy in treatment and prevention.
• Participants will be able to list three possible mechanisms by which yoga may affect diabetes and health outcomes.
• Participants will be able to describe diabetes in terms of health disparities in the US and internationally (economic, social and regional disparities).

Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Diabetes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation