Refer to exercise 12.43. How could you investigate whether participation in a Yoga and Meditation based Lifestyle Intervention (YMLI) caused the improved cellular biomarkers associated in this study? Describe the design of a study assuming you have 200 healthy individuals participating in the study.

Exercise 12.43.

A 2017 study explored the impact of Yoga and Meditation based Lifestyle Intervention (YMLI) on cellular aging in healthy individuals (Tohlahunase et al. 2017). Ninety-six healthy individuals were enrolled in the 12-week YMLI course, which consisted of yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation. Participants attended YMLI for as a group for two weeks, 5 days per week. After the initial two-week period, participants did the program individually at home. Participation was monitored through the maintenance of a diary and telephone contact. After 12 weeks, researchers found significant improvement in biomarkers of cellular aging and longevity among participants. Does this study show that YMLI causes improvement in biomarkers of cellular aging and leads to increased longevity? Explain.