BACKGROUND: Tai Chi exercise can relieve the decreasing lung function and increase exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but some studies found that Tai Chi exercise did not achieve the desired improvement effect in patients. OBJECTIVE: To objectively evaluate the rehabilitation effects in lung function and exercise endurance of Tai Chi exercise on old patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: A computer-based online retrieval of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang databases between January 1980 and July 2014 were searched. Randomized controlled trials of Tai Chi intervening in old patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were collected, including Tai Chi exercise intervention group and drug or physical education control group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 6 randomized controlled trials were included, with 406 patients. The results of Meta-analyses showed that, compared with the control gro up, Tai Chi exercise obviously improved the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (MD 4.62, 95%CI 0.73 to 8.51, p = 0.02), the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second to the prediction value (MD 4.95, 95%CI 0.33 to 9.57, p = 0.04) and 6-minutes walking distance (MD 33.81, 95%CI 6.00 to 61.62, p = 0.02) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Forced expiratory volume in one second showed no significant difference between Tai Chi exercise intervention group and control group (MD 0.02, 95%CI -0.10 to 0.14, p = 0.76). Tai Chi exercise could improve the lung function and exercise endurance in old patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and has positive rehabilitation effects.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PDF locator
• publisher