The effect of sitting baduanjin in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: A quasi-experimental study Author: Xiaocui Cao1, Yanyan Dong1, Hongjing Yu1, Xuemei Liu1, Yuqin Gu1, Jian Song1, Peng Ouyang1, Zehang Hong2 Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Departmengt of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China. <sup>2</sup> Departmengt of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China. Electronic address: 1968851030@qq.com. Conference/Journal: Heart Lung Date published: 2024 Jun-Aug Other: Volume ID: 66 , Pages: 78-85 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.04.003. , Word Count: 271 Background: Early cardiac rehabilitation plays a crucial role in the recovery of patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study sought to determine the effect of a program of sitting Baduanjin exercises on early cardiac rehabilitation. Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of sitting Baduanjin exercises on cardiovascular and psychosocial functions in patients with STEMI following PCI. Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a randomized, non-equivalent group design. Patients in the intervention group received daily sitting Baduanjin training in addition to a series of seven-step rehabilitation exercises, whereas those in the control group received only the seven-step rehabilitation training, twice daily. Differences in heart rate variability (HRV) indicators, exercise capacity (Six-Minute Walking Distance; 6-MWD), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9) between the two study groups during hospitalization were analyzed. Results: Patients in the intervention group exhibited lower rates of abnormalities in the time domain and frequency domain parameters of HRV. The median scores of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 in both groups were lower than those at the time of admission, with the intervention group exhibiting lower scores than the control group (P < 0.001; P < 0.001, respectively). The 6-MWD after the intervention was greater in the intervention group compared to the control group (P = 0.014). Conclusions: We found that sitting Baduanjin training has the potential to enhance HRV, cardiac function, and psychological well-being in patients with STEMI after PCI. This intervention can potentially improve the exercise capacity of a patient before discharge. Keywords: Anxiety; Cardiac rehabilitation; Depression; Heart rate variability; Myocardial infarction; Sitting baduanjin. PMID: 38593677 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.04.003