Table 2.
Summary of the physiological mechanism of qigong.
| Author (year) | Study design | Participants | Sample size | Intervention | Control | Depression scales | Outcome measures | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chow et al. (34) | RCT | Healthy adults | EG:34/CG:31 | Chan Mi Gong (8 weeks under instructor’s supervision and 4 weeks practice at home; once a week; 90 min) | Waitlist control | DASS-21 | 1. Blood pressure 2. Heart rate |
1. Qigong group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure than the control group 2. No group difference on heart rate |
| Li et al. (31) | RCT | Healthy adults | EG:46/CG:55 | Baduanjin (16 weeks; 3 times per week; 30–60 min) | Waitlist control | SDS | 1. Blood pressure 2. Heart rate variability (HRV) 3. Rate pressure product 4. Total cholesterol (TC) 5. Triglyceride (TG) 6. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 7. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) |
1. No significant change was found in blood pressure, HRV, vital capacity, and blood lipid index |
| Lavretsky et al. (41) | RCT | Elders with major depressive disorder | EG:33/CG:35 | Tai chi (10 weeks; once per week; 120 min) | Health education program | HDRS | 1. C-reactive protein (CRP) | 1. Experimental group had significant decrease in CRP compared to control |
| Tsang et al. (39) | RCT | Elders | EG:61/CG:55 | Yi Jin Ten-Section Brocades (12 weeks; twice per week; 60 min) | Newspaper reading | GDS | 1. Hear rate 2. Blood pressure 3. Forced vital capacity 4. Forced expiratory volume |
1. Significant group × time interaction effect on resting heart rate 2. For blood pressure, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume, no significant difference was observed |
| Cheung et al. (37) | RCT | Adults with essential hypertension | EG:47/CG:41 | Guolin Qigong (16 weeks; twice per week in the first 4 weeks, then was held monthly; 120 min) | Conventional exercise | BDI | 1. Blood pressure 2. Heart rate 3. Total cholesterol 4. Triglycerides 5. LDL 6. HDL |
1. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in both groups at post-assessment 2. Heart rate was significantly lower for both groups at post-assessment compared to baseline 3. Total cholesterol was decreased significantly in both groups at post-assessment 4. No significant difference was found in triglycerides, LDL, and HDL |
| Chan et al. (35) | RCT | University students | EG:18/CG:16 | Self-Healing Qigong (10 weeks; twice per week; 60 min) | Waitlist control | DASS-21 | 1.Immunoglobin A | 1. Qigong group showed a significant increase in secretion of salivary IgA at post-assessment and follow-up assessment |
EG, experimental group; CG, control group; DASS-21, Depression Anxiety, Stress Scales; SDS Zung’s, Self-Rating Depression Scale; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; GDS, Geriatric Depression Scale; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory.