A mixed methods study of Tai Chi exercise for patients with chronic heart failure aged 70 years and older

Abstract

Aims and objectivesThis study aimed to evaluate Tai Chi group training among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) aged 70 years and older.BackgroundPhysical activity is recommended for CHF treatment. Tai Chi is found to be beneficial to different patient groups, although few studies focus on older patients with CHF.DesignA mixed methods study. Participants were randomly assigned to Tai Chi training twice a week for 16 weeks (N = 25) or control (N = 20). Quantitative data were collected at baseline, at the end of the training period and 6 months after training, assessing self‐rated fatigue and quality of life, natriuretic peptides and physical performance. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with participants (N = 10) in the Tai Chi training group.ResultsNo statistical differences between the Tai Chi training group and the control group in quality of life or natriuretic peptides was found. After 16 weeks, the training group tended to rate more reduced activity and the control group rated more mental fatigue. Participants in the training group rated increased general fatigue at follow‐up compared with baseline. Qualitative interviews showed that Tai Chi training was experienced as a new, feasible and meaningful activity. The importance of the leader and the group was emphasized. Improvements in balance were mentioned and there was no physical discomfort.ConclusionTai Chi was experienced as a feasible and meaningful form of physical exercise for patients with CHF aged over 70 years despite lack of achieved health improvement. Further investigations, using feasibility and meaningfulness as outcome variables seems to be useful.

Benefits of an 8-form Tai Chi Training Exercise on Balance Performance, Falling Risk, and Muscle Strengths in Elderly with Limited Strength: A Feasibility Study

“…Tai Chi was able to improve proprioception of elderly and, thus, helped improve balance and falling risk [27]. However, our result disagreed with the results from Hägglund, Boman, and Brännström [28] where they found no benefit of Tai Chi training in 70-year old elderly with chronic heart failure. The difference was possibly due to our exercise intensity and progressive training allowing frailer elderly to see improvement after training.…”

Tai Chi and Qigong Practices for Chronic Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…After excluding duplicates, 999 potentially relevant abstracts were screened, and 934 were excluded for failing to meet the inclusion criteria. The remaining 65 full texts were read, and 33 RCTs [ 12 – 44 ] (24 in Chinese [ 12 , 14 , 18 – 22 , 24 – 30 , 34 – 42 , 44 ] and 9 in English [ 13 , 15 – 17 , 23 , 31 – 33 , 43 ]) were deemed eligible for this systematic review. The quantitative synthesis was performed with 32 RCTs by pooling the results through a meta-analysis.…”

“…The studies were published between 2004 and 2019. States or regions of publication were China ( n = 25) [ 12 , 14 , 17 – 22 , 24 – 30 , 34 – 42 , 44 ], Taiwan ( n = 2) [ 17 , 44 ], the United States ( n = 5) [ 13 , 23 , 31 – 33 ], the United Kingdom ( n = 1) [ 15 ], Italy ( n = 1) [ 16 ], and Sweden ( n = 1) [ 43 ].…”

Effects of transitional health management on adherence and prognosis in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction in percutaneous coronary intervention: A cluster randomized controlled trial

“…There was no significant difference in exercise compliance between the control and the intervention groups (Table 2). This could be because the average age of the study population was more than 65 years old (Table 1), and the subjects may have been worried that getting an exercise-induced injury or increasing the amount of exercise would increase the heart load[29].…”