Yoga + Aging

• Comprehensive Yoga Program Associated with Rapid Change in Gene Expression ("Rapid Gene Expression Changes in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes upon Practice of a Comprehensive Yoga Program" in PLoS ONE 8(4): e61910. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061910)
• Yoga an Integral Part of Anti-aging: "Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study." The Lancet Oncology, Volume 14, Issue 11, Pages 1112 - 1120, October 2013 doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70366-8.
• A useful critical review of the above Lancet Oncology article at Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2013/09/16/no-dean-ornish-and-elizabeth-blackburn-have-not-discovered-the-fountain-of-youth/

Yoga + General Health

• "Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial." The Journal of Rheumatology July 1, 2015 vol. 42 no. 7 1194-1202
• "References for 75 Health Conditions Benefited by Yoga." Compiled by Timothy McCall, MD (Updated January 2013)
• "Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality." in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology December 13, 2012 2047487312471759
• "Yoga increases both strength and flexibility." ("Effects of Hatha Yoga Practice on the Health-Related Aspects of Physical Fitness," in the Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Autumn 2001)

Yoga + Breathing

• "[N]asal irrigation is an effective adjunctive therapy for chronic sinus symptoms:" instruction, study and literature review of benefits of nasal irrigation. Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health. Studies conducted from 1999-2008 with a total of 76 subjects.
• "Wellness through a comprehensive Yogic breathing program – A controlled pilot trial." BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2007, 7:43 doi:10.1186/1472-6882-7-43

Yoga + Inflammation

• "Stress, Inflammation + Yoga Practice," Psychosomatic Medicine: February/March 2010 - Volume 72 - Issue 2 - pp 113-121
  doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181cb9377. "novices’ serum interleukin (IL)-6 levels were 41% higher than those of experts across sessions, and the odds of a novice having detectable C-reactive protein (CRP) were 4.75 times as high as that of an expert. Differences in stress responses between experts and novices provided one plausible mechanism for their divergent serum IL-6 data; experts produced less lipopolysaccharide-stimulated IL-6 in response to the stressor than novices, and IL-6 promotes CRP production."
• "Effect of Yoga Practice on Levels of Inflammatory Markers After Moderate and Strenuous Exercise.": "Regular practice of yoga can protect the individual against inflammatory diseases by favourably altering pro-inflammatory cytokine levels." J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Jun;9(6):CC08-12. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/12851.6021. Epub 2015 Jun 1.
• Yoga Reduced Inflammation in Breast Cancer Survivors and Beyond: "Yoga's Impact on Inflammation, Mood, and Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial." http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/32/10/1040.abstract?sid=dab5432b-ac62-4eea-a9c2-265c2f19833f. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Published online before print: January 27, 2014, doi:10.1200/JCO.2013.51.8860. JCO April 1, 2014 vol. 32 no. 101040-1049. With great review here: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/yogaeffect.htm.
• Yoga Appears to Mitigate Stress Via Decreased Inflammatory Response: "Stress, Inflammation, and Yoga Practice" in Psychosomatic Medicine: February/March 2010 - Volume 72 - Issue 2 - pp 113-121 doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181cb9377

Yoga + Depression

• Yoga Equivalent to Drug Intervention for Depression: "Antidepressant efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in melancholia: a randomized comparison with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and imipramine." in J Affect Disord 57: 255–259. doi: 10.1016/S0165-0327(99)00079-8.

Yoga + Pain

• Yoga most complete exercise for low back pain because of the insufficiency of other "core" training:
• ("Hip Muscle Imbalance and Low Back Pain in Athletes: Influence of Core Strengthening")

Yoga + Relaxation Response

• Meditation triggers the parasympathetic nervous system or "Relaxation Response: "Inward-attention meditation increases parasympathetic activity: a study based on heart rate variability," in Biomed Res. 2008 Oct;29(5):245-50.

Yoga + Arthritis:

• Yoga improves functional disability, pain, and flexibility in osteoarthritis of the knee joint: "Effects of an integrated approach of hatha yoga therapy on functional disability, pain, and flexibility in osteoarthritis of the knee joint: a randomized controlled study." in J Altern Complement Med. 2012 May;18(5):463-72. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0320. Epub 2012 Apr 26.
• "Evaluation of a yoga based regimen for treatment of osteoarthritis of the hands." J Rheumatol. 1994 Dec;21(12):2341-3.

Yoga + metabolic syndrome:

• "Effects of yoga exercise on serum adiponectin and metabolic syndrome factors in obese postmenopausal women." Menopause. 2012 Mar;19(3):296-301. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31822d59a2.
• "Restorative Yoga in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial."  Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. September 2008, 6(3): 223-229. doi:10.1089/met.2008.0016.
• An Argument for more Randomized, Controlled Studies of Insulin Resistance Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease based on a review of literature so far: "Risk Indices Associated with the Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, and Possible Protection with Yoga: A Systematic Review," doi: 10.3122/jabfm.18.6.491J Am Board Fam Med November-December 2005 vol. 18 no. 6491-519.

Yoga + Hypertension

• Classic studies: "YOGA AND BIO-FEEDBACK IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION" in The Lancet, Volume 302, Issue 7837, Pages 1053 - 1055, 10 November 1973 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(73)92660-3. and "12-MONTH FOLLOW-UP OF YOGA AND BIO-FEEDBACK IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION" in The Lancet, Volume 305, Issue 7898, Pages 62 - 64, 11 January 1975 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(75)91070-3
• Savasana alone controls some hypertension: "Role of Yoga in Management of Essential Hypertension," (1984) Role of yoga in management of essential hypertension Acta Cardiologica, 39 (3). pp. 203-208. ISSN 0001-5385