RESULTS Table II shows the results of the study. Comparison of the two groups using Student's t-test showed a highly significant improvement in the number of attacks per week and drug treatment scores in the patients who practiced yoga. Because of large fluctuations in the mean, the standard deviation was similar for the mean for many of the values in table II. A non-parametric median test with a X2 evaluation was therefore used to determine significance. Table iii shows the results and confirms that there were highly significant differences in peak flow rate as shown by the non-parametric test
Table II : Results of Student's paired test for mean difference between values before and after 54 months follow up for the 2 groups of 53 patients.
Peak flow rate measured in only 50 control and 44 patients in yoga group.
Table III Meadian test with X2 evaluation of - difference between yoga and control groups before and after 54 month follow up. Table IV : Variations in mean Scores for drug treatments and peak flow rate after each Six Month Period of follow up
Table IV shows the number of patients who changed their drug treatment in both groups Yoga had a significantly beneficial effect (p<0.01). Table V shows the distribution of the initial and final mean values for drug treatment score and peak flow rate in the yoga and control groups over the months of follow up. In the yoga group the drug treatment score fell considerably and the peak flow rate increased (to a greater extent than that in the control).
Table V - Variations in mean Scores for drug treatment and peak flow rate after each Six Month Period of follow up.