Ancient Chinese movement reduces blood pressure, study
- American College of Cardiology researchers said on February 18, 2026 that a randomized trial found baduanjin lowered blood pressure in adults with stage 1 hypertension. - The trial followed 216 adults across seven Beijing-area communities, and baduanjin cut 24-hour systolic pressure by about 3 mm Hg versus self-directed exercise. - The study ran 52 weeks, and the findings were published in JACC on February 18, 2026.
The American College of Cardiology said on February 18 that a randomized clinical trial found baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, lowered blood pressure in adults with stage 1 hypertension. The study, published in JACC, followed 216 participants age 40 and older across seven communities in Beijing, China, for 52 weeks. Researchers said the routine combined slow, structured movement, breathing and meditative focus. Jing Li, the study’s senior author and director of preventive medicine at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, said the practice could offer a low-cost option for people who struggle to maintain more conventional exercise programs. ### What exactly is the movement studied here? Baduanjin is a standardized eight-movement routine that has been practiced in China for centuries, according to the American College of Cardiology. The group said a typical session lasts about 10 to 15 minutes and requires no equipment. The American College of Cardiology said the exercise blends aerobic, isometric and flexibility elements with breathing and mindfulness. (acc.org) Researchers described it as low- to moderate-intensity, a detail they said makes it accessible for many adults. ### Who was in the trial, and how was it run? (acc.org) The BLESS trial enrolled 216 adults age 40 or older with systolic blood pressure of 130 to 139 mm Hg, a range the ACC release said corresponds to stage 1 hypertension under ACC/AHA guidelines. The study was a multicenter, open-label, blinded-outcome randomized controlled trial conducted from June 5, 2022, to July 11, 2025, at seven study sites in Beijing, according to the JACC article listing. (acc.org) Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: baduanjin, brisk walking or self-directed exercise, the ACC said. The intervention lasted 52 weeks, and researchers tracked changes in 24-hour systolic blood pressure at 12 weeks and again at one year. ### How much did blood pressure change? (acc.org) Compared with self-directed exercise, baduanjin reduced 24-hour systolic blood pressure by about 3 mm Hg and office systolic blood pressure by about 5 mm Hg at both three months and one year, the American College of Cardiology said. The group said those reductions were comparable to results seen in some first-line medication trials. (acc.org) At one year, baduanjin showed a safety profile and blood-pressure results comparable to brisk walking, according to the ACC release. The findings were sustained even without ongoing monitoring, the group said. ### Does this mean people can skip medication? Jing Li said in the ACC release that baduanjin could be used as “an effective, accessible and scalable lifestyle intervention” for people trying to reduce blood pressure. (acc.org) The release did not say the exercise should replace prescribed drugs, and the trial compared the routine directly with brisk walking and self-directed exercise rather than testing it as a substitute for medication. The study population was limited to adults with systolic readings of 130 to 139 mm Hg, not people with more severe hypertension. That means the reported results apply to a narrower group than all patients with high blood pressure. ### Why did this draw fresh attention in May? Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth published a report on May 18 highlighting the study and pointing readers to online instructions for practicing baduanjin at home. (acc.org) The underlying research itself was announced by the American College of Cardiology on February 18 and publicized again in a May 11 ScienceDaily item based on the ACC release. ScienceDaily described the routine as an 800-year-old exercise, while the ACC release emphasized that blood pressure reductions appeared by three months and lasted for a year. Both accounts cited the same JACC study and the same senior author, Jing Li. ### What comes next for readers trying to use this information? The JACC paper is already published online, and the ACC release identifies Jing Li and colleagues as the study team behind the BLESS trial. (fox4news.com) People considering changes to blood-pressure treatment would still need a clinician’s guidance, because the published trial tested baduanjin in a specific group over 52 weeks rather than across all forms of hypertension. (sciencedirect.com) (sciencedaily.com)
