Tai Chi Exercise for Patients with Cardiovascular Conditions and Risk Factors: A Systematic Review

Affiliation

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

Date of publication

May-Jun 2009

conclusion

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.

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