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Acute myocardial infarction — commonly known as a heart attack — is often treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, a procedure to restore blood flow through blocked arteries. Recovery and long-term heart health depend heavily on effective rehabilitation. Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise and a form of Qi Gong, is widely used in China as a rehabilitation tool following this procedure, yet the scientific evidence base supporting its use had not been comprehensively evaluated.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, searching multiple international and Chinese databases up to January 2025. Thirteen trials involving 1,293 participants were included in the analysis.
The pooled results showed that Baduanjin significantly improved left ventricular ejection fraction — a key measure of how well the heart pumps blood — as well as six-minute walk distance, a standard test of exercise capacity. Participants practising Baduanjin also reported meaningful improvements in quality of life across several validated questionnaires, and showed significant reductions in both anxiety and depression symptoms compared to control groups. Importantly, Baduanjin did not increase the risk of adverse events; it was associated with a notably lower incidence of certain cardiovascular adverse events, with a number needed to treat of five.
Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that Baduanjin may be a safe and beneficial rehabilitation exercise for patients recovering from a heart attack who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention, though larger and more rigorously designed trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Source: Liang SB, Li YF, Zhang YY et al. Complementary therapies in medicine (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 41839353) · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103345