Researchers have determined that yoga can help to relieve stress by reducing the associated cellular inflammation.

The recent study is a follow up to the discovery by UCLA scientists that a specific type of yoga — used for brief, simple daily meditation — reduced the stress levels of people who care for those stricken by Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Researchers discovered a certain form of chanting yogic meditation, practiced for 12 minutes daily for eight weeks, led to a reduction in the biological mechanisms responsible for an increase in the immune system’s inflammation response.

Scientists now that inflammation, if constantly activated, can contribute to a multitude of chronic health problems.

In a study of 45 family dementia caregivers, psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky and colleagues found a difference in genetic response after the Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KKM). The discovered that 68 genes responded differently after KKM, resulting in reduced inflammation.

The study is reported in the current online edition of the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Caregivers are the unsung heroes for their yeoman’s work in taking care of loved ones that have been stricken with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, said Lavretsky.

However, caring for a frail or demented family member can be a significant life stressor. Older adult caregivers report higher levels of stress and depression and lower levels of satisfaction, vigor and life in general.

Moreover, caregivers show higher levels of the biological markers of inflammation. Family members in particular are often considered to be at risk of stress-related disease and general health decline.

The issue is salient given the aging of America and the expected dramatic increase in prevalence of dementia. Currently, at least five million Americans provide care for someone with dementia.

“We know that chronic stress places caregivers at a higher risk for developing depression,” she said.

“On average, the incidence and prevalence of clinical depression in family dementia caregivers approaches 50 percent. Caregivers are also twice as likely to report high levels of emotional distress.”

Caregivers tend to be older themselves, leading to what Lavretsky calls an “impaired resilience” to stress and an increased rate of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Experts have surmised that psychosocial interventions like meditation reduce the adverse effects of caregiver stress on physical and mental health. However, the pathways by which such psychosocial interventions impact biological processes are poorly understood.

In the study, the participants were randomized into two groups. The meditation group was taught the 12-minute yogic practice that included Kirtan Kriya, which was performed every day at the same time for eight weeks.

The other group was asked to relax in a quiet place with their eyes closed while listening to instrumental music on a relaxation CD, also for 12 minutes daily for eight weeks. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the eight weeks.

“The goal of the study was to determine if meditation might alter the activity of inflammatory and antiviral proteins that shape immune cell gene expression,” said Lavretsky. “Our analysis showed a reduced activity of those proteins linked directly to increased inflammation.

“This is encouraging news. Caregivers often don’t have the time, energy, or contacts that could bring them a little relief from the stress of taking care of a loved one with dementia, so practicing a brief form of yogic meditation, which is easy to learn, is a useful too.”

As first appeared in PsychCentral