title: Tai Chi Chuan improves functional capacity after myocardial infarction: A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI) present a reduction in functional capacity expressed as a decrease in peak oxygen consumption (Vo2 peak). The impact of a Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) cardiac rehabilitation program for patients recovering from recent MI has yet to be assessed. Our goal is to evaluate functional capacity after a TCC-based cardiac rehabilitation program in patients with recent MI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted. The researchers who performed the tests were blinded to group allocation. Between the 14th and 21st days after hospital discharge, all patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise testing and a laboratory blood workup. Mean age was similar (56±9 years in the TCC group and 60±9 years in the control group). Patients allocated to the intervention group performed 3 weekly sessions of TCC Beijin style for 12 weeks (n=31). The control group participated in 3 weekly sessions of full-body stretching exercises (n=30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 12-week study period, participants in the TCC group experienced a significant 14% increase in Vo2 peak from baseline (21.6 ± 5.2 to 24.6 ± 5.2 mL/kg per minute), whereas control participants had a nonsignificant 5% decline in Vo2 peak (20.4 ± 5.1 to 19.4 ± 4.4 mL/kg per minute). There was a significant difference between the 2 groups (P<.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tai Chi Chuan practice was associated with an increase in Vo2 peak in patients with a recent MI and may constitute an effective form of cardiac rehabilitation in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosane Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Beust
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Petry
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bühler
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Vitta Centro de Bem Estar Físico, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson Donelli
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.affiliation: Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Cardiology Division, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Vitta Centro de Bem Estar Físico, Porto Alegre, Brazil; The Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil. Electronic address: rstein@cardiol.br.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D026302:Tai Ji