Zhong Wen, Huang Wei, Deng Hua, Qiu Shuang, Yang Qiyue, Jia Huanan
Geriatric department, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.39 Shi-er-qiao Road, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan, China.
Hanyuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Ya 'an City, Sichuan, China.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025 Jan 3;25(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12906-024-04732-7.
Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome worldwide, and its early identification and intervention have important clinical significance. Resistance training has been recommended as an efficient means to combat loss of muscle strength and mass; however, it is often not a prioritized option for older adults. Tai chi is a well-known traditional Chinese exercise that has a beneficial impact on physical performance, balance ability, metabolism, and immune function.
With the newly emerged concept of muscle-immune homeostasis, this study focused on determining the efficacy of tai chi prefrail older adults who develop immunosenescence. Furthermore, the proper timing of the exercise regimen for maximizing the therapeutic effect of tai chi has also been explored.
This 12-week, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with participants between 60 and 75 years of age. A total of 144 prefrail participants were included in this study and were randomized (1:1:1:1) to four groups: (1) a control group with only health education, (2) a morning tai chi group, (3) a morning resistance training group, and (4) an afternoon tai chi group. The primary endpoints included physical performance, frailty index scores, muscle strength, and mass, and the secondary endpoints were the sarcopenia quality of life score, Berg balance scale score, bioenergetic anti-stress index (BASI), and immune risk profile (IRP). The data were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat protocol.
The results of this investigation aided in determining whether tai chi effectively reversed the prefrail state of older adults and ameliorated biomarkers of immunosenescence. Furthermore, proper exercise timing was also determined to maximize the efficacy of physical training.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; registration number: ChiCTR2200065815; prospectively registered on November 16th, 2022.
衰弱是全球常见的老年综合征，其早期识别和干预具有重要的临床意义。阻力训练被推荐为对抗肌肉力量和质量丧失的有效手段；然而，它通常不是老年人的优先选择。太极拳是一种著名的中国传统运动，对身体机能、平衡能力、新陈代谢和免疫功能有有益影响。
随着肌肉-免疫稳态这一新概念的出现，本研究重点确定太极拳对出现免疫衰老的衰弱前期老年人的疗效。此外，还探讨了运动方案的最佳时机，以最大化太极拳的治疗效果。
这项为期12周的多中心随机对照试验（RCT）针对60至75岁的参与者进行。本研究共纳入144名衰弱前期参与者，随机（1:1:1:1）分为四组：（1）仅接受健康教育的对照组，（2）上午太极拳组，（3）上午阻力训练组，（4）下午太极拳组。主要终点包括身体机能、衰弱指数评分、肌肉力量和质量，次要终点是肌肉减少症生活质量评分、伯格平衡量表评分、生物能量抗应激指数（BASI）和免疫风险谱（IRP）。数据根据意向性分析方案进行分析。
本调查结果有助于确定太极拳是否能有效逆转老年人的衰弱前期状态并改善免疫衰老的生物标志物。此外，还确定了适当的运动时间，以最大化体育锻炼的效果。
中国临床试验注册中心；注册号：ChiCTR2200065815；于2022年11月16日前瞻性注册。
