Compared with self-directed exercise alone, baduanjin yields a significantly greater reduction in SBP at 12 and 52 weeks<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, Feb. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with high blood pressure (BP), baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body practice, can lower systolic BP (SBP), with effects sustained for 52 weeks, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Boxuan Pu, from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial in seven communities involving participants aged 40 years and older with SBP of 130 to 139 mmHg and\/or diastolic BP of 85 to 89 mmHg. Participants were randomly assigned to receive baduanjin, self-directed exercise alone, or brisk walking for 52 weeks (108, 54, and 54 participants, respectively). Change in 24-hour SBP from baseline to 12 and 52 weeks was examined as the primary outcome.<\/p>\n The researchers found that compared with patients assigned to self-directed exercise alone, patients in the baduanjin arm had a significantly greater reduction in 24-hour SBP at 12 and 52 weeks (\u22123.1 and \u22123.3 mmHg, respectively). At 52 weeks, no significant difference was seen between the baduanjin and brisk-walking arms. Across subgroups, the effects were not heterogeneous. Across the three arms, there were no significant differences seen in adverse events.<\/p>\n “Baduanjin has been practiced in China for over 800 years, and this study demonstrates how ancient, accessible, low-cost approaches can be validated through high-quality randomized research,” Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D., editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, <\/em>said in a statement. “The blood pressure effect size is similar to that seen in landmark drug trials, but achieved without medication, cost, or side effects.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n