HHS HealthBeat (May 27, 2011)

Tai chi and hearts

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

Tai chi may have positive effects for those with chronic heart failure. One hundred patients participated in a twelve week trial where one group of patients took a heart health education class. One performed tai chi twice a week.

Gloria Yeh is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“This twelve week program of tai chi improved patients’ quality of life and mood in heart failure, and increased their confidence to engage in exercise.” (11 seconds)

Patients with heart failure tend to have a decreased capacity for exercise.

“Tai chi appears to be gentle, non-threatening, and it just may be that suitable exercise for these heart failure patients.” (8 seconds)

The study supported by the National Institutes of Health was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Nicholas Garlow.

Last revised: May 31, 2011