Effects of Habitual T'ai Chi Exercise on Adiponectin, Glucose Homeostasis, Lipid Profile, and Atherosclerotic Burden in Individuals with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Objectives: A single bout of t'ai chi (TC) exercise was previously found to be associated with a significant increase in post-exercise adiponectin levels in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. The objective of this study was to examine the long-term effects of 24-month habitual TC exercise on adiponectin levels, glucose homeostasis, lipid profile, and atherosclerotic burden in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. Design: This was a prospective observational study. Settings/location: The study was conducted at a regional hospital in south Taiwan. Subjects: Participants of a TC exercise program held by the clinics of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery for individuals with cardiovascular diseases were recruited to the TC group. Individuals who did not join the program were recruited as controls. All study subjects had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Interventions: Ninety-minute session of Yang's style TC at least once a week. Outcome measures: Measurements on adiponectin, glucose homeostasis, lipid profile, and atherosclerotic burden were made at three time points-baseline, 12 months, and 24 months. Two-way repeated-measures general linear model was used to assess the changes over the study period between the TC and control groups. Results: Thirty-seven patients in both the TC and control groups completed the study. The TC group showed a greater increase in natural logarithmic transformed (Ln) adiponectin values than the control group over the study period (interaction effect p = 0.009). Glucose homeostasis, lipid profile, risk of atherosclerosis, and atherosclerotic burden did not showed significant changes with TC compared with the controls over the 24-month period. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that for individuals with at least one cardiovascular risk factor, engaging in habitual TC exercise could lead to favorable changes in levels of adiponectin. The association between habitual TC and cardiovascular events and diabetic complications will require further investigations.