Author: Yong Chen#1,2, Pan Zhang#2, Zongmei Dong2, Yanan Zhu3, Yanan Liu3, Cheng Qiao2, Ning Zhang2, Yixue Jiang2, Bi Chen4
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Department of Public Health Management, Third People's Hospital of Xuzhou, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
<sup>2</sup> Department of Control and Prevention of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases, Xuzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
<sup>3</sup> Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
<sup>4</sup> Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. chenbi202212@163.com.
Conference/Journal: NPJ Prim Care Respir Med
Date published: 2024 Dec 19
Other:
Volume ID: 34 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 43 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1038/s41533-024-00400-y. , Word Count: 343
Baduanjin has been shown to be an effective method of exercise for promoting body function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, this method is rarely used by rural doctors in rural communities. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of Baduanjin exercise with those of conventional pulmonary rehabilitation (CPR) implemented by rural doctors in patients with COPD. A total of 472 COPD patients from 18 village clinics were randomly allocated to the Baduanjin group (n = 158), CPR group (n = 154), or control group (n = 160). The Baduanjin group received six months of Baduanjin training, the CPR group received six months of rehabilitation training, and the control group received usual care. The primary outcomes were changes in health status, as measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and dyspnoea, as assessed via the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale. The secondary outcomes included six-minute walking distance (6MWD) performance and anxiety and depression scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D, respectively). Baseline data were collected before randomization, and outcomes were ascertained at the six-month follow-up by blinded assessors. After six months of training, compared with the control group, the Baduanjin group presented significant improvements in CAT scores (t = 5.121, P < 0.001), mMRC scale scores (t = 5.719, P < 0.001), 6MWD performance (t = 12.608, P < 0.001), HADS-A scores (t = 6.210, P < 0.001), and HADS-D scores (t = 2.945, P = 0.010). The CPR group also presented significant improvements in CAT scores (t = 4.725, P < 0.001), mMRC scale scores (t = 5.499, P < 0.001), 6MWD performance (t = 11.662, P < 0.001), HADS-A scores (t = 5.697, P < 0.001), and HADS-D scores (t = 2.671, P = 0.023). In contrast, the control group participants showed no significant changes in CAT scores (t = -0.252, P = 0.801), mMRC scale scores (t = -0.085, P = 0.932), 6MWD performance (t = -0.463, P = 0.644), HADS-A scores (t = -2.75, P = 0.783), or HADS-D scores (t = -0.281, P = 0.779). No adverse events were reported during the study. The positive effects of Baduanjin exercise on the subjective symptoms of COPD patients are similar to those of CPR. The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (reference: ChiCTR-TRC-12001958) (22/02/2012).
PMID: 39702595 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-024-00400-y