The effect of qigong on 'Syndrome X'

The clinical coincidence of essential hypertension, obesity and abnormalities of lipid and glucose has been termed as a Syndrome X', which is an increased risk of cardio cerebra-vascular disease.

In management of hypertension, it is important not only to control the blood pressure to an optimal level but also to improve the abnormal metabolism of lipids and glucose.

Thirty hypertensive patients with a “Syndrome X' had been treated with qigong exercise for 6 months. The results were as follow:

1. Mean blood pressure before and after qigong exercise 164.30 (+ or -) 14.60/91.10 (+ or -) 8.90 mm Hg vs. 151.20 (+ or -) 13.40/80 20 (+ or -) 8.40 mm Hg (P<O.Ol-O.OOl)

2. Body weight index & waist/hip ratio before and after exercise: 27.58 (+ or -) 2.95 vs. 27.16 (+ or -) 3.18; 0.95 (+ or -) 0.06 vs. 0.91 (+ or -) 0.07 (P<0 05).

3. After qigong exercise, plasma triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were decreased 2.39 (+ or -) 0.58 mmol/L vs. 1.98 (+ or -) 0.63 mmol/L, 6.51 (+ or -) 0.84 mmol/L vs. 5.57 (+ or -) 0.68 mmol/L, respectively. Plasma HDL-C was increased from 1.21 (+ or -) 0.38 mmol/L to 1.43 (+ or -) 0.43 mmol/L.

4. Plasma glucose, insulin level and I/G ratio were decreased after exercise (7.53 (+ or -) 2.01 mmol/L vs. 6.55 (+ or -) 1.86 mmol/L; 21.80 (+ or -) 5.13 IU vs. 16.27 (+ or -) 2.46 IU; 2.88 (+ or -) 0.72 vs. 2.47 (+ or -) 0.64 respectively.

The results suggested that after a course of qigong practice the metabolic abnormalities of lipid and glucose and insulin resistance were improved as well as the blood pressure was lowered. Qigong is one of effective measures for preventing and treating “Syndrome X'.