title: Effects of Qigong on blood pressure, blood pressure determinants and ventilatory function in middle-aged patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: This study was designed to measure changes in blood pressure (BP), urinary catecholamines and ventilatory functions of patients with mild essential hypertension after 10 weeks of Qigong (Shuxinpingxuegong). Fifty-eight patients volunteered to participate in this study and were randomly divided into either a Qigong group (n = 29), or a control group (n = 29). Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the Qigong group such that both became significantly lower after 10 weeks in the Qigong than in the control group. Also, there was a significant reduction of norepinephrine, metanephrine and epinephrine compared to baseline values in the Qigong group. The ventilatory functions, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume per sec, were increased in the Qigong group but not the control. These results suggest that Qigong may stabilize the sympathetic nervous system is effective in modulating levels of urinary catecholamines and BP positively, and in improving ventilatory functions in mildly hypertensive middle-aged patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Mokpo Catholic University, Mokpo 530-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myeong Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Euy-Soon
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hun-Taeg
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines