The therapeutic potential of yoga in prediabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors

  • Gopal Chandra Saha VISVA-BHARATI CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
  • Smriti Mondal Visva-Bharati
  • Bekir Erhan Orhan Istanbul Aydın University: İstanbul, Turkey
  • Subhashis Biswas ICFAI University, Tripura
  • Prem Kumar Karak Visva-Bharati
  • Sourav Ganguly Delhi Public School, Durgapur, India
  • Samaresh Jana Silda C. S College, West Bengal, India
  • Mahendra Pratap Gaur Indira Gandhi National Tribal University , India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v78.115762

Keywords:

Body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, postprandial blood glucose, prediabetes, yoga

Abstract

Introduction: Prediabetes, characterized by elevated blood glucose, increases the risk of type II diabetes. Accessible interventions like yoga offer a holistic approach to improve metabolic health and delay disease onset.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated yoga’s effects on primary outcomes; fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and secondary outcome: body mass index in individuals with prediabetes.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines and PROSPERO registration (CRD420251017200), a search (2013–2023) identified five randomized control trail. Fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and body mass index were analyzed using mean differences. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses assessed robustness. Certainty of evidence was evaluated via GRADE.

Results: Five randomized controlled trials involving 501 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed no significant effect of yoga on fasting blood glucose, with considerable heterogeneity and very low certainty evidence. No significant effects were observed for postprandial blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin, with negligible heterogeneity and low-certainty evidence. Effects on body mass index in individuals with prediabetes were non-significant with low-certainty evidence.

Discussion: Yoga did not have any clinical significance regarding Fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and body mass index in individuals with prediabetes. Limited trial, small sample size, and low to very low certainty of evidence reduced confidence. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses further strengthen the robustness of the findings.

Conclusion: Yoga interventions did not significantly improve primary outcomes: fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin, and secondary outcome body mass index. 

Author Biographies

  • Smriti Mondal, Visva-Bharati

    Research Scholar, Visva-Bharati

  • Bekir Erhan Orhan, Istanbul Aydın University: İstanbul, Turkey

    Associate Professor, Istanbul Aydın University: İstanbul, Turkey

  • Subhashis Biswas, ICFAI University, Tripura
    Assistant Professor, ICFAI University, Tripura
  • Prem Kumar Karak, Visva-Bharati

    Research Scholar, Visva-Bharati

  • Sourav Ganguly, Delhi Public School, Durgapur, India

    Physical Education Teacher, Delhi Public School, Durgapur, India

  • Samaresh Jana, Silda C. S College, West Bengal, India

    Assistant Professor, Silda C. S College, West Bengal, India

  • Mahendra Pratap Gaur, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University , India

    Associate Professor, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University , India

References

Chattopadhyay, K., Mishra, P., Singh, K., Harris, T., Hamer, M., Greenfield, S. M., Lewis, S. A., Manjunath, N. K., Nair, R., Mukherjee, S., Harper, D. R., Tandon, N., Kinra, S., & Prabhakaran, D. (2020). Yoga programme for type-2 diabetes prevention (YOGA-DP) among high risk people in India: A mul-ticentre feasibility randomised controlled trial protocol. BMJ Open, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036277

Chattopadhyay, K., Mishra, P., Singh, K., Singh, K., Harris, T., Hamer, M., Greenfield, S. M., Manjunath, N. K., Nair, R., Mukherjee, S., Tandon, N., Lewis, S. A., Kinra, S., & Prabhakaran, D. (2023). Yoga Pro-gramme for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention (YOGA-DP) Among High-Risk People in India: A Multi-center Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Diabetes Therapy, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-023-01395-4

Formagini, T., Brooks, J. V., Roberts, A., Bullard, K. M. K., Zhang, Y., Saelee, R., & O’Brien, M. J. (2023). Prediabetes prevalence and awareness by race, ethnicity, and educational attainment among U.S. adults. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1277657

Gong, Q. H., Kang, J. F., Ying, Y. Y., Li, H., Zhang, X. H., Wu, Y. H., & Xu, G. Z. (2015). Lifestyle interventions for adults with impaired glucose tolerance: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the ef-fects on glycemic control. Internal Medicine, 54(3), 303–310. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.54.2745

Hegde, S. V., Adhikari, P., Shetty, S., Manjrekar, P., & D’Souza, V. (2013). Effect of community-based yo-ga intervention on oxidative stress and glycemic parameters in prediabetes: A randomized con-trolled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2013.08.013

Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). (2024). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (Version 6.5, updated August 2024). Cochrane. https://www.cochrane.org

Jyotsna, V. P. (2014). Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Evidence for effect of yoga. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 18(6). https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.141318

Kacker, S., Saboo, N., Sharma, S., & Sorout, J. (2019). Quasi prospective comparative study on effect of yoga among prediabetics on progression of cardiovascular risk factors. International Journal of Yoga, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_49_18

Kaur, N., Majumdar, V., Nagarathna, R., Malik, N., Anand, A., & Nagendra, H. R. (2021). Diabetic yoga pro-tocol improves glycemic, anthropometric and lipid levels in high-risk individuals for diabetes: a randomized controlled trial from Northern India. Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-021-00761-1

Keerthi, G. S., Pal, P., Pal, G. K., Sahoo, J. P., Sridhar, M. G., & Balachander, J. (2017). Effect of 12 weeks of yoga therapy on quality of life and indian diabetes risk score in normotensive Indian young adult prediabetics and diabetics: Randomized control trial. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/29307.10633

Kirthi, V., Nderitu, P., Alam, U., Evans, J. R., Nevitt, S., Malik, R. A., Hopkins, D., & Jackson, T. L. (2022). The prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes: A systematic review. Survey of Ophthalmology, 67(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2022.04.002

Kurian, J., Mohanthy, S., & Nanjumdaiah, R. M. (2022). Mechanism of action of yoga on prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: Narrative review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.10.003

Maniyara, K., & Kodali, P. B. (2025). Assessing type-2 diabetes risk based on the Indian diabetes risk score among adults aged 45 and above in India. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88460-z

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetz-laff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Saboo, N., & Kacker, S. (2023). A Study to Assess and Correlate Metabolic Parameters with Carotid Inti-ma-Media Thickness after Combined Approach of Yoga Therapy Among Prediabetics. Advanced Biomedical Research, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/abr.abr_146_22

Vicks, W. S., Lo, J. C., Guo, L., Rana, J. S., Zhang, S., Ramalingam, N. D., & Gordon, N. P. (2022). Prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes vary by ethnicity among U.S. Asian adults at healthy weight, over-weight, and obesity ranges: an electronic health record study. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14362-8

Vijayakumar, V., Mavathur, R., Raguram, N., Ranjani, H., Anjana, R. M., & Mohan, V. (2021). Potential Role of Yoga in Management of the Ominous Octet. Journal of Diabetology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/jod.jod_6_18

Yau, J. W., Thor, S. M., & Ramadas, A. (2020). Nutritional strategies in prediabetes: A scoping review of recent evidence. Nutrients, 12(10),1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102990

Zhu, X., Yang, Z., He, Z., Hu, J., Yin, T., Bai, H., Li, R., Cai, L., Guo, H., Li, M., Yan, T., Li, Y., Shen, C., Sun, K., Liu, Y., Sun, Z., & Wang, B. (2022). Factors correlated with targeted prevention for prediabetes classified by impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and elevated HbA1c: A popu-lation-based longitudinal study. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.965890

Downloads

Published

19-02-2026

Issue

Section

Theoretical systematic reviews and/or meta-analysis

How to Cite

Saha, G. C., Mondal, S., Orhan, B. E., Biswas, S., Karak, P. K., Ganguly, S., Jana, S., & Gaur, M. P. (2026). The therapeutic potential of yoga in prediabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Retos, 78, 250-266. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v78.115762