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LANCET  News|Medicine and Health Policy| Volume 353, ISSUE 9156, P904, March 13, 1999
 
T'ai Chi gently reduces blood pressure in elderly
Kelly Morris
Published:March 13, 1999DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)75012-1

Even light exercise, such as the Chinese discipline of T'ai Chi, may have a beneficial effect on blood pressure in older adults, report a team from the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research (Baltimore, MD, USA).

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J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 May 1.
 
Published in final edited form as:
J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2009 May–Jun; 29(3): 152–160.
doi:  [10.1097/HCR.0b013e3181a33379]
PMCID: PMC2755083
NIHMSID: NIHMS122290
PMID: 19471133
Tai Chi Exercise for Patients with Cardiovascular Conditions and Risk Factors: A Systematic Review
Gloria Y. Yeh, MD, MPH,1,3 Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc,2 Peter M. Wayne, PhD,1 and Russell Phillips, MD1,3

PURPOSE
To conduct a systematic review of the literature evaluating tai chi exercise as an intervention for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF).
METHODS
We searched:

1) Medline, CAB Alt Health Watch, BIOSIS previews, Science Citation Index, EMBASE, and Social Science Citation Index from inception through October 2007;

2) Chinese Medical Database, China Hospital Knowledge, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Traditional Chinese Medicine Database from inception through June 2005; and

3) performed hand searches at the medical libraries of Beijing and Nanjing Universities. Clinical studies published in English and Chinese including participants with established CVD or CVRF were included. Data were extracted in a standardized manner; 2 independent investigators assessed methodological quality, including the Jadad score for randomized controlled trials (RCT).
RESULTS
Twenty-nine studies met inclusion criteria: 9 RCT, 14 non-randomized studies (NRS), and 6 observational trials (OBS). Three studies examined subjects with coronary heart disease, 5 in heart failure, and 10 in heterogeneous populations that included those with CVD. Eleven studies examined subjects with CVRF (hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism). Study duration ranged from 8 weeks to 3 years. Most studies included <100 subjects (range 5–207). Six of nine RCTs were of adequate quality (Jadad ≥3). Most studies report improvements with tai chi, including blood pressure reductions and increases in exercise capacity. No adverse effects were reported.
CONCLUSION
Preliminary evidence suggests that tai chi exercise may be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for some patients with CVD and CVRF. Further research is needed.
Keywords: Exercise, Tai chi, Cardiovascular disease prevention