Functional capacity after traditional Chinese medicine (qi gong) training in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled trial.
Evidence indicates that low energy expenditure protocols derived from traditional Chinese medicine may benefit patients with cardiac impairment; therefore, the authors carried out a randomized controlled trial to test a 16-week medically assisted qi gong training program for the physical rehabilitation of patients with stable chronic atrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular function. Functional capacity variation was evaluated using the 6-minute walk test, which was performed at baseline, at the end of the intervention, and after 16 weeks. Thirty men and 13 women (mean age, 68+/-8 years) were randomized to the intervention protocol or to a wait-list control group. Qi gong training was well tolerated and, compared with baseline, trained patients walked an average 114 meters more (27%) at the end of treatment (P<.001) and 57 meters more (13.7%) 16 weeks later (P=.008). Control subjects showed no variation in functional capacity. These results seem promising and deserve confirmation with further research.
Pippa
Lucio
L
Camillo de Lellis per la Ricera Clinica Applicata, Pescara, Italy.
Manzoli
Lamberto
L
Corti
Itala
I
Congedo
Gabriele
G
Romanazzi
Luigi
L
Parruti
Giustino
G
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged