scholarly journals Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects of Tai Chi on Blood Pressure

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Xiaosheng Dong ◽  
Meng Ding ◽  
Xiangren Yi

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of Tai Chi on blood pressure (BP) using the meta-analysis. Methods. This paper used 6 e-resource databases, and randomized controlled trials on the role of Tai Chi on blood pressure were retrieved. Besides, the meta-analysis was conducted according to the guidelines of the Moose-recommendations and applied with Review Manager 5.3, and the risk of bias assessment was performed with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. The inclusion, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were independently finished by two researchers. Results. There are 24 trials meeting the criteria of inclusion and the results were reviewed. The meta-analysis indicates that, compared with no exercise, Tai Chi had the influence of lowering systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −6.07, 95%CI (−8.75, −3.39), P < 0.00001 ) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference MD = −3.83, 95%CI (−4.97, −2.69), P < 0.00001 ). No significant discrepancies in all outcomes between Tai Chi and other aerobic exercises were discovered. Conclusion. Tai Chi can significantly reduce systolic and diastolic pressure than inactivity. However, Tai Chi does not show advantages in reducing blood pressure compared to other aerobic exercises. The trial is registered with CRD42020175306.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xiandu Pan ◽  
Li Tian ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Jiahao Sun ◽  
Xinye Li ◽  
...  

Objective. This study systematically evaluated the effects of Tai Chi exercise on blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and quality of life (QOL) in patients with hypertension. A meta-analysis was performed to provide a reliable reference for clinical practice. Methods. We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in five English databases and two Chinese databases, with the earliest data dated December 5, 2020. A quality assessment of the methods and a meta-analysis were also conducted. Results. The meta-analysis of 24 studies showed that the intervention group showed better outcomes in terms of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (SMD −1.05, 95% CI −1.44 to −0.67, P ≤ 0.001 ; I2 = 93.7%), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (SMD −0.91, 95% CI −1.24 to −0.58, P ≤ 0.001 ; I2 = 91.9%), and QOL (physical functioning (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.37, P = 0.001 ; I2 = 91.3%), role-physical (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.11, P ≤ 0.001 ; I2 = 65%), general health (SMD 0.75, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.17, P = 0.001 ; I2 = 88.1%), bodily pain (SMD 0.65, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.00, P ≤ 0.001 ; I2 = 83.1%), vitality (SMD 0.71, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.07, P ≤ 0.001 ; I2 = 84.3%), social functioning (SMD 0.63, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.19, P = 0.027 ; I2 = 93.1%), role-emotional (SMD 0.64, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.06, P = 0.003 ; I2 = 88.1%), and mental health (SMD 0.73, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.16, P = 0.001 ; I2 = 88.2%)) compared to those of the control group. However, no significant improvements were seen in BMI of the intervention group (SMD −0.08, 95% CI −0.35 to −0.19, P = 0.554 ; I2 = 69.4%) compared to that of the control group. Conclusion. Tai Chi is an effective intervention to improve SBP and DBP in patients with essential hypertension.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Xiaosheng Dong ◽  
Zhenguo Shi ◽  
Meng Ding ◽  
Xiangren Yi

Background. Hypertension has been a global public health problem. Qigong as a complementary and alternative therapy is often used to reduce blood pressure. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of Qigong on blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Methods. Six electronic resource databases were searched from inception to January 2019, and randomized controlled trials of Qigong on hypertension were retrieved. Meta-analysis was conducted according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration, and Review Manager 5.3 was applied. Two researchers independently identified articles to include based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality evaluation. Results. Fourteen studies, with 829 individuals, were included. The meta-analysis demonstrates that, compared with no exercise, Qigong has significant positive effects on systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −8.90, 95% CI (−12.13, −5.67), P < 0.00001 ) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference = −5.02, 95% CI (−7.88, −2.17), P < 0.00001 ). There is, however, no significant difference between Qigong and other aerobic exercises in reducing blood pressure. Conclusion. Qigong can effectively reduce blood pressure levels. Longer-term engagement in the practice has an even better effect in hypertension patients. However, the conclusion of this study still needs to be verified by more high-quality studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lulu Dai ◽  
Yuerong Jiang ◽  
Peili Wang ◽  
Keji Chen

Objective. To compare the efficacy of three different traditional Chinese exercises (Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and Wuqinxi) combined with antihypertensive drugs (AHD) on patients with essential hypertension (EH). Method. Eight electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of traditional Chinese fitness exercises combined with AHD and AHD alone. The analysis mainly consists of network meta-analysis (NMA) and pairwise meta-analysis. The Cochrane assessment tool was adopted to assess the risk of bias of included literatures. This study used STATA/SE 15.1 (StataCorp, 2017), R software (version 4.0.1), and Cochrane’s Review Manager software (version 5.4) to conduct data analysis and figures generation. Results. A total of 30 RCTs were included in this study, of which 16 evaluated Tai Chi plus AHD versus AHD, 11 evaluated Baduanjin plus AHD versus AHD, and 3 evaluated Wuqinxi plus AHD versus AHD. No RCT compared directly among the three traditional Chinese fitness exercises. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that Tai Chi plus AHD was significantly superior to AHD alone in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). BDJ plus AHD was statistically superior to AHD alone in reducing SBP, DBP, and endothelin (ET) and increasing nitric oxide (NO). NMA results indicated that Tai Chi plus AHD (WMD −12.42 mmHg, 95% CI: −15.29 to −9.55) and Baduanjin plus AHD (WMD −7.03 mmHg, 95% CI: −9.80 to −4.26) were superior to AHD, and Tai Chi was more effective than other traditional exercises in lowering SBP, Tai Chi plus AHD (WMD −7.56 mmHg, 95% CI: −10.15 to −4.96) and Baduanjin plus AHD (WMD −4.51 mmHg, 95% CI: −7.38 to −1.65) were superior to AHD in reducing DBP, Baduanjin plus AHD (WMD 4.26 μmol/L, 95%CI: 2.68 to 5.83) was statistically superior to AHD in increasing NO, and Tai Chi plus AHD (WMD −7.64 pg/ml, 95% CI: −10.46 to −4.83) and Baduanjin plus AHD (WMD −9.23 pg/ml, 95% CI: −10.85 to −7.61) were superior to AHD in lowering ET. Conclusion. Compared with AHD alone, both Tai Chi plus AHD and Baduanjin plus AHD showed significant benefit in regulating SBP, DBP, and ET. Among the three traditional Chinese fitness exercises, Tai Chi may be the best as an adjunctive therapy for SBP reduction. These findings provided evidence for the therapeutic benefit of either Tai Chi or Baduanjin exercise as an adjunct therapy for patients with EH. Limited by the methodological quality and quantity of included studies, results need to be interpreted with caution, and it is necessary to carry out further high-quality RCTs on traditional Chinese fitness exercise-assisted treatment of EH in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Dingcheng Liu ◽  
Lan Yi ◽  
Meixiao Sheng ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Yanqin Zou

Objective. Tai Chi and Qigong are the two similar traditional Chinese wellness exercises. A strong body of published clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has investigated the health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong exercises (TCQE) in patients with essential hypertension (EH). This is the first meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of TCQE on blood pressure (BP) and blood levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in EH patients and explore the potential antihypertensive mechanism of TCQE. Methods. We conducted a literature retrieval for Chinese and English studies in seven databases from their respective inceptions until January 14, 2020. All RCTs examining clinical efficacy of TCQE for EH patients were considered. The major therapeutic outcomes of TCQE were changes in the blood levels of NO, ET-1, and BP in EH patients. Methodological quality of the included RCTs was detected via The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We evaluated the data reported and performed the meta-analysis by Review Manager 5.3 software. Results. 9 RCTs involving 516 EH patients were included. The intervention duration lasted from 1.5 months to 6 months. The results of comprehensive analysis showed that compared with control interventions, experimental interventions were more effective in reducing the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure and contributed higher blood levels of NO and lower blood levels of ET-1. Conclusions. TCQE could be an effective complementary and alternative therapy for EH. The lower BP in EH patients who practice TCQE may have some connection with exercise-related increased blood NO levels and decreased blood ET-1 levels. However, further research is needed to make clear the efficacy of TCQE in management of EH and the mechanism of lowering BP in TCQE.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Ze Li ◽  
Yu Zhou ◽  
Yi-Ning Yang ◽  
Yi-Tong Ma ◽  
Xiao-Mei Li ◽  
...  

Background. Acupuncture is frequently advocated as an adjunct treatment for essential hypertension. The aim of this review was to assess its adjunct effectiveness in treating hypertension.Methods. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and the Chinese databases Sino-Med, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP through November, 2012, for eligible randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture. Outcome measures were changes in diastolic (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP).Results. A total of 4 randomized controlled trials were included. We found no evidence of an improvement with the fact that acupuncture relative to sham acupuncture in SBP change (n=386; mean difference = −3.80 mmHg, 95% CI = −10.03–2.44 mmHg;I2=99%), and an insignificant improvement in DBP change (n=386; mean difference = −2.82 mmHg, 95% CI = −5.22–(−0.43) mmHg;I2=97%). In subgroup analyses, acupuncture significantly improved both SBP and DBP in patients taking antihypertensive medications. Only minor acupuncture-related adverse events were reported.Conclusions. Our results are consistent with acupuncture significantly lowers blood pressure in patients taking antihypertensive medications. We did not find that acupuncture without antihypertensive medications significantly improves blood pressure in those hypertensive patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwin Kamath ◽  
Zahoor Ahmad Rather

The objective of our study was to determine the effect of melatonin administration on atypical antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects in patients with psychiatric disorders. A systematic search was performed in PUBMED, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials studying the effect of melatonin on antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects were identified and subjected to meta-analysis. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 57 patients on melatonin and 61 patients on placebo. Melatonin produced a significant decrease in the diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo (mean difference = −4.44 [95% CI, −7.00 to −1.88]; p=0.0007; I2 = 13%), but not the systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −4.23 [95% CI, −8.11 to −0.36]; p=0.03; I2 = 0%). Although a decrease in the body mass index was seen in the melatonin group, the difference was not significant in the random-effects analysis model. To conclude, in patients on atypical antipsychotics, melatonin at a dose of up to 5 mg/day for a treatment duration of up to 12 weeks attenuated the rise in diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo but had no significant effects on other metabolic parameters.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3054
Author(s):  
Piotr Machowiec ◽  
Gabriela Ręka ◽  
Marcela Maksymowicz ◽  
Halina Piecewicz-Szczęsna ◽  
Agata Smoleń

Spirulina is a microalga that presents various important pro-health properties, for instance lowering blood pressure in the research. The study aims to appraise the efficacy of Spirulina administration on systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved by a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to June 2021 according to a standardized protocol. The effect size of each study was counted from mean and standard deviation before and after the intervention and shown as Un-standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval. Sensitivity analyses were performed. Meta-analysis on 5 RCTs with 230 subjects was eligible. The amount of Spirulina ranged from 1 to 8 g per day, and intervention durations ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. Data analysis indicated that Spirulina supplementation led to a significant lowering of SBP (Mean Difference (MD): −4.59 mmHg, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): −8.20 to −0.99, I square statistic (I2) = 65%) and significant lowering of DBP (MD: −7.02 mmHg, CI: −8.86 to −5.18, I2 = 11%), particularly in a subgroup of hypertensive patients. Spirulina administration might have a supportive effect on the prevention and treatment of hypertension. More exact randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify the effect of Spirulina supplementation on blood pressure.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2984
Author(s):  
Stepan M. Esagian ◽  
Christos D. Kakos ◽  
Emmanouil Giorgakis ◽  
Lyle Burdine ◽  
J. Camilo Barreto ◽  
...  

The role of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatectomy is currently unclear. We performed a systematic review of the literature using the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Random-effects meta-analysis was carried out to compare the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with resectable HCC undergoing hepatectomy followed by adjuvant TACE vs. hepatectomy alone in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Meta-regression analyses were performed to explore the effect of hepatitis B viral status, microvascular invasion, type of resection (anatomic vs. parenchymal-sparing), and tumor size on the outcomes. Ten eligible RCTs, reporting on 1216 patients in total, were identified. The combination of hepatectomy and adjuvant TACE was associated with superior OS (hazard ratio (HR): 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52 to 0.85; p < 0.001) and RFS (HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.88; p < 0.001) compared to hepatectomy alone. There were significant concerns regarding the risk of bias in most of the included studies. Overall, adjuvant TACE may be associated with an oncologic benefit in select HCC patients. However, the applicability of these findings may be limited to Eastern Asian populations, due to the geographically restricted sample. High-quality multinational RCTs, as well as predictive tools to optimize patient selection, are necessary before adjuvant TACE can be routinely implemented into standard practice. PROSPERO Registration ID: CRD42021245758.


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