Tai Chi rehabilitation program enhances blood pressure control and modulates inflammatory and Brain-Gut peptides in hypertension

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN), a chronic inflammatory condition, is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines and brain‐gut peptides contributes to its progression. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Tai Chi rehabilitation program on blood pressure, inflammatory cytokines [interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10)], and brain‐gut peptides [neurotensin (NT), gastrin (GAS)] in patients with HTN, hypothesizing that Tai Chi would improve these parameters compared with Fitness exercise or no intervention. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial enrolled 105 patients with HTN and coronary heart disease. Participants were randomized into the Tai Chi group (n = 35), Fitness group (n = 35), or Blank group (n = 35). The intervention lasted 24 weeks (3 sessions per week, 60 min per session, 40‐60% heart rate reserve). Blood pressure and serum levels of IL‐6, IL‐10, NT, and GAS were measured before and after the intervention using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 27, applying paired t‐tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Ninety participants completed the study (Tai Chi group: 31, Fitness group: 28, Blank group: 31). The Tai Chi group showed significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and IL‐6 (p < 0.001), along with increases in IL‐10, NT, and GAS (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. Compared with the Fitness group, the Tai Chi group achieved greater increases in NT and GAS (p < 0.05). Compared with the Blank group, the Tai Chi group demonstrated superior reductions in SBP and IL‐6 (p < 0.05). Reductions in IL‐6 were negatively correlated with increases in NT and GAS (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Tai Chi rehabilitation lowered systolic blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and improved brain‐gut peptides, supporting its role as a complementary therapy for hypertension. The modest sample size, 14.3% dropout rate, and recruitment from two hospitals may limit generalizability, and larger multi‐center studies with longer follow‐up are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry (Registration No. ITMCTR2024000813; registration date: 2024/12/13).