What is the Metabolic Syndrome?
The Metabolic Syndrome is an umbrella term that is used to describe a cluster
of certain health conditions.
The Metabolic Syndrome is diagnosed when a person has a large waist circumference
in addition to 2 of the other conditions listed below:
Having the metabolic syndrome puts you at higher risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. We already know that lifestyle changes that are done on a regular basis can help improve metabolic syndrome. These lifestyle changes are: eating a healthier diet, losing weight, and being physically active. We have given you information about these recommendations and hope that you will start making these healthy behavior changes. But, there may be other behaviors that can help as well. That is what this study is about.• High Blood pressure
• High Triglycerides level
• Low HDL-cholesterol (the good, protective cholesterol)
• High glucose levels
What is the study about?
For this research study we have developed a series of group classes and home
practice sessions for participants to complete over a year. Participants will
have a 50/50 chance of being assigned to either the Stretch group or the Yoga
group. Both groups will be meeting at the same times of the week, and at the
same frequency for the whole study.
Who can participate?
You may be eligible for the study if:
- You are between the ages of 21 and 65
- You are underactive and overweight
- You meet the criteria for the metabolic syndrome (we will assess
this at a screening visit).
If you are interested in enrolling in the study and think you might be eligible,
please contact us and we will conduct a more thorough screening process to
determine whether or not you are eligible to enroll in the study.
What will I be asked to do?
When you first contact us, you will be asked to complete an initial 20-30
minute telephone eligibility interview. If you are eligible by phone, you
will then be asked to come in for a 1-hour in-person Screening Visit where
we will measure your waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting blood
tests. After completion of this 1-hour Screening Visit, we will determine
whether or not you meet the eligibility criteria for the study. If you are
eligible for the study, you will be invited to a Baseline Visit where you
will be assigned to either the yoga or the stretch intervention. You cannot
pick which intervention group you will be assigned to.
During the one-year long study, you will be asked to:
• Attend regular Group classes
• Do home practice at least three days per week
• Attend clinic visits every 3 months
Group Classes: Both the Stretch and Yoga groups will be meeting twice a week for the first 6 weeks of the study, then once a week between weeks 7-12. Then between weeks 13-24, you will be meeting in your group classes once every other week. For the second half of the study, from weeks 25-48, you will be meeting in group classes only once per month. It is very important that participants attend all of your group classes so you learn how to do your stretches and poses correctly and get the maximum benefit of our study intervention.
Home Practice: If you are eligible for the study, we will ask you to practice your stretches or poses at home for at least three days per week, for at least 30 minutes at a time. More is better, but 30 minutes 3 days per week is the minimum amount for us to see whether the intervention really does improve your health.
Clinic visits: To see if the Stretch and Yoga interventions have helped improve your health and the metabolic syndrome, we will ask you to come to clinic visits every 3 months for one year. We will ask you to fast for at least 10 hours before you come to these appointments so we can do some fasting blood tests each time. The Baseline visit, the 6-month visit and the 12-month visits are going to take approximately 4 hours each. The 3-month visit and the 9-month visit are much shorter---only about an hour each.
What is the cost?
There is no cost to participate in the study.
For More Information or to determine your eligibility for PRYSMS, call either
UCSF or UCSD as follows:
for UCSF, call 415-885-7547, or email UCSF at PRYSMS@ucsfmedctr.org
for UCSD, call (858) 534-8118, or email UCSD at PRYSMS@ucsd.edu
See recent article about the PRYSMS study:
Trial Will Test Benefits of Yoga and Stretching among People at Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease
