Effect and mechanism of tai chi on blood pressure of patients with essential hypertension: a randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: Tai chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that is increasingly popular in the world for positive health benefits. The influence and mechanism of tai chi on blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension still have high value for research. METHODS. A total of 99 patients with hypertension were randomly divided into control group and tai chi group. Tai chi intervention lasted for 12 weeks, and the control group maintained normal dietary and exercise habits. The changes of systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients before and after the intervention were monitored. The serum concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II) and nitric oxide (NO) were detected. RESULTS. There was no significant difference in baseline parameters between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure in tai chi group was higher after 12 weeks (P<0.001). At the 12(th) week, the decreased level of Ang II and the increased level of NO in tai chi group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS. Tai chi can improve the blood pressure of patients with hypertension by decreasing the serum Ang II level and increasing the serum NO level.