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Researchers have shed new light on how a centuries-old Chinese practice can be as effective as other medicines in lowering blood pressure.
Baduanjin is a form of exercise that has been widely practiced in China for at least 800 years. It involves a series of eight slow movements, slow breathing and meditation – and usually only takes 10 minutes to complete.
In a clinical study, researchers studied 216 adults aged 40 and older with Stage 1 hypertension. Over the course of the year, participants do baduanjin, a personal exercise or fast walk.
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Researchers found that participants who practiced baduanjin five times a week experienced lower blood pressure within three months.
The results were “comparable to reductions seen with first-line drugs,” they wrote in their report published by the American College of Cardiology.
High blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Now, researchers have shed new light on how a centuries-old Chinese practice can be as effective as other medicines in lowering blood pressure. (Andrews/Getty Images)
Baduanjin also showed “same results and a safety profile to go faster at one year,” the researchers continued to report.
Given its simplicity, safety and ease with which one can maintain long-term adherence, baduanjin can be used as an effective, accessible and safe lifestyle for people trying to reduce their health. [blood pressure],” said the study's senior author, Jing Li, MD, Ph.D.
Dr. Matthew Saybolt, medical director of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center's Structural Heart Disease Program, said he was surprised by the nature of the study's results.
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“I was biased and expected that high-intensity exercise such as brisk walking would lead to a greater improvement in blood pressure than baduanjin, but the results were similar,” Saybolt told Fox News Digital. (He did not participate in this study.)
Dr. Antony Chu, assistant professor of medicine at Brown University's Warren Alpert School of Medicine, was born and raised in the US to immigrant parents – his mother is from Hong Kong and his father is from Taiwan.
Baduanjin practitioners, like those in this category, combine slow movements with mindful breathing. (Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images)
After spending several summers in Asia, Chu told Fox News that he experienced the “best of both worlds” in terms of Eastern and Western medicine, including exposure to the benefits of baduanjin.
“[These researchers] they take many things that have been common for centuries or thousands of years and use mathematical modeling and statistical analysis to plan [them] some honesty,” said Chu.
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“Western medicine is responding,” Chu also said.
He compared the philosophies to a house on fire: Eastern medicine practitioners invested more in fire prevention, while Western medicine focused more on “all those things that would have to be done to try to put out that fire,” he said, sharing his perspective.
New research shows how people with high blood pressure can lower it without medication. (FG Trade/Getty Images)
If left untreated, high blood pressure has risks “too numerous to list,” Saybolt said. Risks include increased risk of stroke, heart attack, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure.
Baduanjin, Chu said, works to lower blood pressure, which he likens to “water pressure and plumbing in your house,” by calming the nervous system and reducing stress.
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“People are completely overwhelmed,” Chu said. “And the stress reduction is huge.”
Saybolt said the study offers hope for people with high blood pressure — “and that hope doesn't have to involve immediate medication.”
Baduanjin is easily incorporated into many lifestyles and can be performed without equipment almost anywhere and anytime. (Getty Images)
Saybolt added that he has always advocated lifestyle changes, including healthy eating and exercise, as “primary therapies to treat disease and promote longevity.”
With the baduanjin data, Saybold said he is now “more optimistic than ever,” as “we have evidence that reasonable low-impact exercise can produce benefits.”
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Chu said translating major medical guidelines is a big part of his job.
“It's not just about telling someone, 'Hey, your blood pressure is too high, pick a pill,'” she said.
Baduanjin has been a preventive health practice that the Chinese have been incorporating into their practices for centuries. (Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images)
“Lifestyle change” can be difficult for many people, he added.
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“They always make it sound like you have to live seven years in Tibet on a mountain somewhere, and that's not really the case.”
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His simple interpretation of the baduanjin study is this: “Close the door to your office and just say, 'I can't be bothered for 10 minutes,' and just focus on breathing slowly and moving your arms or legs around.”
