OBJECTIVES: To analyze the influence of Baduanjin exercise on blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials were identified in Chinese and English databases to study the impact of Baduanjin exercise on essential hypertension. Qualified trials were selected and methodologic quality was critically evaluated. Two reviewers selected studies independently of each other. RESULTS: Twelve trials were included. There was a significant difference between the Baduanjin exercise intervention and control groups with regard to the change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (SMD -1.80, 95% CI -2.86 to -0.73, p = 0.0009) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -2.00 to -0.57, p = 0.0004). Taking into account the subgroup analyses, the combined results showed that Baduanjin plus antihypertensive drugs significantly reduced both SBP and DBP over a period > 12 weeks in all studies. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with control interventions, Baduanjin exercise seems to be an effective physical exercise in treating essential hypertension. Different training durations can lead to different effects.

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