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T'ai chi found to lower blood pressure WASHINGTON (April 18, 1998 00:49 a.m. EDT http://www.nando.net) -- A little t'ai chi seems to make the circulatory system work better. Regular light activity in the Chinese balance and flexibility exercises did virtually as much good as moderately intense brisk walks in lowering blood pressure, surprised researchers said. T'ai chi was only expected to make minimal changes. "We weren't expecting to see changes in blood pressure," said Deborah R. Young, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. The findings were so unexpected that Young would not advise people to give up brisk walking in favor of t'ai chi. Research already has shown that walking's benefits are wide-ranging, including lowering body weight and cholesterol levels. It's not yet known what t'ai chi will do in those areas, she said. However, the t'ai chi was powerful enough to bring low levels of high blood pressure down into the high normal level. Young's pilot study looked at 62 sedentary people with an average age close to 67. They all had low-level high blood pressure or high normal blood pressure; none used blood pressure medication. The subjects were split into aerobic exercisers and t'ai chi practitioners, and trained in both, with goals of 30 minutes of exercise four times a week. The aerobic exercisers walked or, if the weather was poor, did low-impact aerobics. The t'ai chi group attended classes or practiced at home. After 12 weeks, blood pressure had fallen an average of 8.4 millimeters of mercury in the aerobic exercise group, and 7 millimeters of mercury in the t'ai chi group. These were meaningful improvements for both groups over their respective starting points. And the difference between the two groups at the end was not so large that researchers could be sure that aerobic exercise was better, Young said. Neither group lost appreciable weight. And their aerobic capacities -- their ability to use oxygen -- didn't show a clear improvement, although the aerobics group did show some indications of an improvement. The study indicates that t'ai chi has benefits beyond the flexibility and balance areas it's known to improve in older people, Young said. And this could be important for people who can't or don't want to use traditional moderate-intensity exercises such as walking, she said. Earlier studies have found that people who practice t'ai chi have lower risks of falling and of losing strength. The results on blood pressure are worth further investigation, commented t'ai chi researcher Fuzhong Li of the Oregon Research Institute, a behavioral science group in Eugene. Other studies on blood pressure have not shown consistent results, he said. The drop in blood pressure could be expected if the t'ai chi relaxed people, as it is supposed to do, said Robert Whipple of the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington. Other stress-reduction techniques also lower blood pressure if they are done regularly, the t'ai chi researcher said. Li's group is looking at how t'ai chi affects mental well-being. Partway through the research, it appears that tai chi practitioners improve their sense of well-being and control over their lives, he said. But t'ai chi may be harder than walking for some people to stick with, Whipple said. T'ai chi requires participants to learn and remember choreography, and typically is done as a class. By IRA DREYFUSS, Associated Press Writer Copyright 1998 Nando.net Copyright 1998 The Associated Press janet paterson 51/10 - sinemet/selegiline/prozac almonte/ontario/canada - [log in to unmask]