Tai chi is more effective than aerobics for treating prehypertension, according to a new study.
- Prehypertension increases the risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
- Tai chi is more effective in reducing prehypertension than aerobic exercise, according to a new study.
- The clinical trial was conducted between July 25, 2019 and January 24, 2022 in 2 public hospitals located in China.
“Is tai chi more effective in reducing blood pressure in prehypertensive patients than aerobic exercise?”. It seems so, according to a new study published in the JAMA.
What is prehypertension?
“Prehypertension increases the risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, early and effective intervention in patients with prehypertension is very important,” explain the researchers at the start of their publication.
Their clinical trial was conducted between July 25, 2019 and January 24, 2022 in two public hospitals located in China. Their cohort consisted of 342 adults aged 18 to 65 years with prehypertension, defined by a systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 mm Hg.
Participants were randomly assigned to a tai chi group or aerobic exercise group. Both teams completed four one-hour sessions per week for 12 months.
Prehypertension: a greater reduction in the tai chi group
At the end of the experiment, the scientists found that the average reduction in prehypertension between the beginning and the end of the study was significantly greater in the tai chi group than in the aerobic exercise group.
“Both 24-hour blood pressure and nighttime blood pressure were significantly reduced in the tai chi group compared to the aerobic exercise group,” add the authors of the study. “These results suggest that tai chi may help promote the prevention of cardiovascular disease in populations with prehypertension. they conclude.
A traditional martial art of Chinese origin, tai chi is a discipline on the border of combat sport and gymnastics. Aerobic training is a type of low-intensity exercise that can be maintained for an extended period of time (brisk walking, swimming, cycling, skating, cross-country skiing, etc.).
In France, 17 million people suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension) and 1.6 million begin treatment each year. In 2019, hypertension was the leading risk factor for mortality ahead of tobacco and the second risk factor for years of life lost in good health.