April 15, 2008 – Walking, tai chi and Qigong could be advantageously integrated into the treatment program of some patients. This is what emerges from a few studies carried out on diabetics and other patients at risk of cardiovascular disorders.
Walking
According to an American study1, walking would reduce the use of drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. These results are taken from an epidemiological survey involving 40,000 subjects who indulged in walking. The more subjects walked, the less likely they were to consume any of these three types of drugs, the study authors report.
Tai-chi and Qi Gong
Tai chi patients had better blood sugar control than control group, clinical trial results show2 in which 60 subjects with type 2 diabetes participated.
Australian researchers arrived at similar results in a preliminary test3 conducted in 11 patients with metabolic syndrome with impaired blood sugar. According to their results, the practice of tai chi and Qi Gong would help reduce body mass index and blood pressure, while helping to control blood sugar.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Medscape and BBC News.
1. Williams PT. Reduced diabetic, hypertensive, and cholesterol medication use with walking. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Mar; 40 (3): 433-43.
2. Yeh SH, Chuang H et al. Regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise improves T cell helper function of type 2 DM patients with an increase in T-bet transcription factor and IL-12 production. Br J Sports Med. 2008 Apr 2.
3. Xin L, Miller YD et al. A preliminary study of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong medical exercise on indicators of metabolic syndrome and glycaemic control in adults with elevated blood glucose. Br J Sports Med. 2008 Apr 2.
