In a small study, 49 atrial fibrillation patients were monitored for 3 months to track their episodes of a-fib.
For the next 3 months, they took part in 60-minute yoga sessions twice a week.
After the 3 months of yoga, the patients has significantly fewer episodes of a-fib - both with or without symptoms.
And their blood pressure and heart rates were lower, too.
The patients also felt less depressed and anxious.
Study leaders think yoga might be a good addition to medication for a-fib patients.
Atrial fibrillation can be hard to control. the upper and lower chambers of the heart don't beat in a synchronized way.
Most patients are given blood thinners like coumadin, to reduce the chance dangerous clots will form in the heart during those episodes of helter-skelter rhythms. Finding the right balance for those can be a challenge to patients and their doctors.
Sometimes, doctors use electric current to quiet the heart circuits triggering the arrhythmia. Patients may also get a pacemaker, which will permanently deliver the rhythm for their heart.
