Every breath you take: How do yoga based breathing exercises affect quality of life and dialysis efficacy in peritoneal dialysis patients?

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) may lead to physical and psychological challenges that negatively affect patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence. Although yoga based breathing exercises have been shown to improve stress management and well being in various chronic conditions, evidence regarding their effects in PD patients remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association between yoga based breathing exercises, quality of life, and dialysis adequacy in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. This prospective pilot study included 15 patients receiving routine peritoneal dialysis treatment at a tertiary nephrology center between June and August 2019. Participants performed supervised yoga-based diaphragmatic breathing exercises for 30 minutes, three times weekly, over an 8-week period. Following initial face-to-face training, patients continued the exercises at home and were monitored through telephone-based telemedicine follow-up. Quality of life was assessed using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF™ 1.3), while dialysis adequacy was evaluated using weekly Kt/V measurements obtained during routine clinical follow-up. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were compared using paired statistical analyses. Following the intervention, a statistically significant reduction in KDQOL-SF scores was observed (pre-intervention: 183.53 ± 42.98 vs. post-intervention: 171.60 ± 37.48; p = 0.008). In addition, Kt/V values showed a significant increase after the breathing exercise program (pre-intervention: 2.36 ± 0.80 vs. post-intervention: 3.29 ± 1.22; p = 0.023). In this pilot study, yoga-based breathing exercises were associated with favorable changes in KDQOL-SF scores and dialysis adequacy parameters among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. These preliminary findings suggest that breathing exercises may represent a feasible complementary intervention in PD care. Larger controlled studies are needed to confirm these observations.