Immediate Effect of Yoga Exercises for Eyes on the Macular Thickness

Dimitrova Galina; Chihara Etsuo; Shoji Takuhei; Junichi Kanno; Ljubic Antonela; Lazarova Olivera; Gjorgjiovska Ana; Kemera Dushan

doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_28_20

Immediate Effect of Yoga Exercises for Eyes on the Macular Thickness

Int J Yoga. 2020 Sep-Dec;13(3):223-226. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_28_20. Epub 2020 Sep 13.

Authors

Dimitrova Galina¹, Chihara Etsuo², Shoji Takuhei³, Junichi Kanno³, Ljubic Antonela⁴, Lazarova Olivera¹, Gjorgjiovska Ana¹, Kemera Dushan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, City General Hospital, Skopje, North Macedonia.
² Senshokai Eye Institute, Uji, Japan.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma, Saitama, Japan.
⁴ Department of Ophthalmology, Medika Plus Polyclinic, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Abstract

Background: Yoga exercises for eyes have been advocated as beneficial to eye health. In a previous study, we evaluated the effect of yoga exercises for eyes on the intraocular pressure (IOP). The other aspects of the effects of yoga exercises for eyes to ocular structure have not been investigated yet.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of yoga exercises for eyes on the macular structure using the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) parameters.

Methods: Twenty-nine participants were included in this masked within participant comparison of healthy controls. Basic ophthalmic examination was performed, after which patients were evaluated for IOP, OCT, and OCTA before and after yoga exercises for eyes. OCT/A parameters that were evaluated were: average macular thickness (AMT) (μm), central macular thickness (μm), central choroidal thickness (μm) vessel density (%) in the superficial, deep vascular layers, and in the choriocapillaris.

Results: IOP was significantly reduced (postexercise IOP = 13.02 mmHg ± 2.82 mmHg) from the initial value (preexercise IOP = 13.86 mmHg ± 2.85 mmHg, P = 0.02). AMT significantly increased (postexercise AMT = 275.40 μm ± 10.85 μm) from the preexercise measurement (preexercise AMT = 274.41 μm ± 10.89 μm; P = 0.02).

Conclusion: After yoga ocular exercises, IOP significantly decreased and AMT significantly increased in healthy controls, suggesting an effect of these exercises on the macular thickness.

Keywords: Exercise; macula; optical coherence tomography; yoga.