Overview
- A multicenter randomized study in China enrolled 216 adults aged 40 or older with stage 1 hypertension across seven communities for a 52-week intervention.
- Participants were assigned to baduanjin, brisk walking, or self-directed exercise, with outcomes measured at 12 and 52 weeks using 24-hour and office systolic blood pressure.
- Practicing baduanjin five days a week reduced 24-hour systolic pressure by about 3 mm Hg and office systolic by 5 mm Hg versus self-directed exercise at both time points.
- Blood pressure effects were comparable to brisk walking and showed a similar safety profile at one year.
- Investigators and JACC leadership emphasized the routine’s simplicity, lack of equipment, and scalability for community-based hypertension prevention.