title: Blood pressure, salivary cortisol, and inflammatory cytokine outcomes in senior female cancer survivors enrolled in a tai chi chih randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Older cancer survivors are a vulnerable population due to an increased risk for chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease) compounded with treatment late-effects and declines in physical functioning. Therefore, interventions that reduce chronic disease risk factors (i.e., blood pressure, chronic inflammation, and cortisol) are important in this population. Tai chi chih (TCC) is a mind-body exercise associated with reductions in chronic disease risk factors, but has not been examined with older cancer survivors. In a feasibility randomized controlled trial of TCC, we examined secondary outcomes of blood pressure, salivary cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-10, IL-4) due to their implications in chronic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three senior female cancer survivors (M age = 67 years, SD = 7.15) with physical functioning limitations (SF-12 physical functioning ≤80 or role-physical ≤72) were randomized to 12-weeks (60-min, three times a week) of TCC or Health Education control (HEC) classes. Resting blood pressure, 1-day salivary cortisol samples, and fasting plasma samples for cytokine multiplex assays were collected at baseline and 1-week post-intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for baseline values, the TCC group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (SBP, p = 0.002) and cortisol area-under-curve (AUC, p = 0.02) at post-intervention than the HEC group. There was no intervention effect on inflammatory cytokines (p's > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This TCC feasibility trial was associated with significant reductions in SBP and cortisol AUC in senior female cancer survivors. Larger, definitive trials are needed to confirm these findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Senior survivors' have an increased risk for chronic diseases; however, TCC interventions may help reduce associated risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7200, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7200, USA, rebecca_campo@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Kathleen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lipschitz
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: LaStayo
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: Harry R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Anita Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kinney
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016207:Cytokines; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D007249:Inflammation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D017741:Survivors; D026302:Tai Ji / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006854:Hydrocortisone