To assess the effects of 12 weeks yoga based cardiac rehabilitation program on blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity in eighty patients post myocardial infarction. Randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups. A tertiary care institution in India. The yoga group received 13 hospital-based structured yoga sessions in adjunct to the standard care. Control group participants received enhanced standard care involving three brief educational sessions on importance of diet and physical activity. Beat to beat arterial pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity was determined non-invasively. Baseline measurement was done at 3 weeks post myocardial infarction. The measurements were repeated at 13th week and at 26th week post MI. There was no significant difference between the groups in time domain indices of SBP variability. At 26th week post MI, after normalization the low frequency power increased in the yoga group as compared to the decrease in the standard care group (p = 0.02). Though the High Frequency power increased in both the groups, the magnitude of increase was higher in the standard care group (p = 0.005). However, the total power increased significantly in yoga group with a concurrent decrease in standard care group (p =< 0.001). The SBP All BRS was significantly different between the groups with an increase in the yoga group and a decline in standard care group (p = 0.003) at 13th week. A short-term yoga based cardiac rehabilitation has additive effects in improving baroreflex sensitivity and dampening blood pressure variability post myocardial infarction in patients under optimal medication.

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