Qigong Practice May Reduce Hypertension

For people with hypertension, qigong practice may offer a cost-effective alternative or complementary therapy, according to a growing body of research. Investigators conducted a research review of all the randomized clinical trials aimed at testing the benefit of qigong practice in patients with hypertension. The researchers found 121 articles and 12 randomized clinical trials. The studies consisted of comparisons of the impact of qigong practice in combination with standard medical treatments for patients with hypertension, as well as evaluations of qigong practice as the only treatment method. A meta-analysis of the results of the cumulative research showed positive findings, but the research studies as a whole were not methodologically strong.

Review results were published in the August issue of the Journal of Hypertension (2007; 25 [8], 1525–32). The authors recommended that more rigorous trials be designed to test the true value of consistent qigong practice for people with hypertension.■