[Chan-Chuang Qigong Improves Exercise Capacity, Depression, and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure].

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based research has shown the effects of traditional Chinese exercise on exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong on the physical and psychological status and on the quality of life of these patients are unknown. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong on exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with heart failure. METHODS: A randomized controlled study with repeated measures was conducted. One hundred participants with heart failure were recruited from a teaching medical center in Taiwan. Permuted block randomization was used to randomly assign the participants to either the Chan-Chuang qigong group, which received Chan-Chuang qigong intervention for three-months, or the control group. The outcome variables included six-minute walk distance, depression, and quality of life. RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation analyses showed that the Chan-Chuang qigong group achieved significantly greater improvements than the control group in terms of six-minute walk distance (p = .001, p < .001, p < .001, respectively) and quality of life (p = .016, p < .001, p < .001, respectively) at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the intervention and depression at 12 weeks after the intervention (p = .016). CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of this study indicate that Chan-Chuang qigong improves exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with heart failure without imposing harmful side effects.