Tai Chi as a Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Reducing Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

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; I-2 = 93.7%), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (SMD -0.91, 95% CI -1.24 to -0.58, 0.001; I-2 = 91.9%), and QOL (physical functioning (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.37, P = 0.001; I-2 = 91.3%), role-physical (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.11, P <= 0.001; I-2 = 65%), general health (SMD 0.75, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.17, P = 0.001; I-2 = 88.1%), bodily pain (SMD 0.65, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.00, P <= 0.001; I-2= 83.1%), vitality (SMD 0.71, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.07, P <= 0.001; I-2 = 84.3%), social functioning (SMD 0.63, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.19, P = 0.027; I-2 = 93.1%), role-emotional (SMD 0.64, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.06, P = 0.003; I-2 = 88.1%), and mental health (SMD 0.73, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.16, P = 0.001; I-2 = 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; I-2 = 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.