BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress promotes endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in chronic renal disease. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the impact of Hatha yoga on oxidative stress indicators and oxidant status, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. DESIGN: This prospective randomized study consisted of 33 ESRD patients in the Hatha yoga exercise group who were matched with 35 ESRD patients in the control group. OUTCOME MEASURES: The oxidative stress indicators (malondialdehyde (MDA), protein oxidation (POX), phospholipase (A2-PLA2) activity) and the oxidative status (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities) were determined in the blood samples taken at the pre-hemodialysis treatment, at baseline (0 months) and after four months. RESULTS: In patients in the Hatha yoga exercise group, lipid peroxidation, as indicated by MDA decreased by 4.0% after four months (p = 0.096). There was also a significant reduction in the activity of PLA from 2.68 +/- 0.02 IU/L to 2.34 IU/L (-12.7%; p = 0.010) and POX from 2.28 +/- 0.02 nmol/mg to 2.22 +/- 0.01 nmol/mg (-22.6%; p = 0.0001). The activity of SOD significantly increased from 12.91 +/- 0.17 U/L to 13.54 +/- 0.15 U/L (4.65%; p = 0.0001) and catalase from 79.83 +/- 0.63 U/L to 80.54 +/- 0.80 U/L (0.90%; p = 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between the pre-hemodialysis oxidative stress parameters at the zero month and after four months for the activities of PLA (r = 0.440), catalase (r = 0.872), and SOD (r = 0.775). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the Hatha yoga exercise has therapeutic, preventative, and protective effects in ESRD subjects, by decreasing oxidative stress.

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