***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Background —Tai Chi Chuan ( TTC ) exercise has beneficial effects on the components of physical condition and can produce a substantial reduction in the risk of multiple falls . Previous studies have shown that short term TCC exercise did not improve the scores in the single leg stance test with eyes closed and the sit and reach test . There has apparently been no research into the effects of TCC on total body rotation flexibility and heart rate responses at rest and after a three minute step test . Methods —In this cross sectional study , 28 male TCC practitioners with an average age of 67.5 years old and 13.2 years of TCC exercise experience were recruited to form the TCC group . Another 30 sedentary men aged 66.2 were selected to serve as the control group . Measurements included resting heart rate , left and right single leg stance with eyes closed , modified sit and reach test , total body rotation test ( left and right ) , and a three minute step test . Results —Compared with the sedentary group , the TCC group had significantly better scores in resting heart rate , three minute step test heart rate , modified sit and reach , total body rotation test on both right and left side ( p<0.01 ) , and both right and left leg st and ing with eyes closed ( p<0.05 ) . According to the American Fitness St and ards , the TCC group attained the 90th percentile rank for sit and reach and total body rotation test , right and left . Conclusion —Long term regular TCC exercise has favourable effects on the promotion of balance control , flexibility , and cardiovascular fitness in older adults BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence suggests that meditative exercise may have benefits for patients with chronic systolic heart failure ( HF ) ; this has not been rigorously tested in a large clinical sample . We sought to investigate whether tai chi , as an adjunct to st and ard care , improves functional capacity and quality of life in patients with HF . METHODS A single-blind , multisite , parallel-group , r and omized controlled trial evaluated 100 out patients with systolic HF ( New York Heart Association class I-III , left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40 % ) who were recruited between May 1 , 2005 , and September 30 , 2008 . A group-based 12-week tai chi exercise program ( n = 50 ) or time-matched education ( n = 50 , control group ) was conducted . Outcome measures included exercise capacity ( 6- minute walk test and peak oxygen uptake ) and disease-specific quality of life ( Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Question naire ) . RESULTS Mean ( SD ) age of patients was 67 ( 11 ) years ; baseline values were left ventricular ejection fraction , 29 % ( 8 % ) and peak oxygen uptake , 13.5 mL/kg/min ; the median New York Heart Association class of HF was class II . At completion of the study , there were no significant differences in change in 6-minute walk distance and peak oxygen uptake ( median change [ first quartile , third quartile ] , 35 [ -2 , 51 ] vs 2 [ -7 , 54 ] meters , P = .95 ; and 1.1 [ -1.1 , 1.5 ] vs -0.5 [ -1.2 , 1.8 ] mL/kg/min , P = .81 ) when comparing tai chi and control groups ; however , patients in the tai chi group had greater improvements in quality of life ( Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Question naire , -19 [ -23 , -3 ] vs 1 [ -16 , 3 ] , P = .02 ) . Improvements with tai chi were also seen in exercise self-efficacy ( Cardiac Exercise Self-efficacy Instrument , 0.1 [ 0.1 , 0.6 ] vs -0.3 [ -0.5 , 0.2 ] , P < .001 ) and mood ( Profile of Mood States total mood disturbance , -6 [ -17 , 1 ] vs -1 [ -13 , 10 ] , P = .01 ) . CONCLUSION Tai chi exercise may improve quality of life , mood , and exercise self-efficacy in patients with HF . Trial Registration clinical trials.gov Identifier : NCT00110227 PURPOSE Individuals with osteoarthritis can experience difficulty walking and poor strength , possibly leading to falls and fractures . Exercise has been found to increase strength and bone mineral density . The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 6 months of t'ai chi on knee muscle strength , bone mineral density , and fear of falling in older women with osteoarthritis . METHODS Eighty-two ( 82 ) women with osteoarthritis , recruited from outpatient clinics and community health centers , were r and omly assigned to either a t'ai chi group and took part in a t'ai chi program , or a control group . Of these , 30 subjects ( mean age = 63 years ) in the t'ai chi group and 35 ( mean age = 61 years ) in the control group completed post-test measures at 6 months . RESULTS After the 6-month study period , subjects in the t'ai chi program had significantly greater knee extensor endurance ( pre- to post-test mean increase = 36.4 W/kg , versus 1.1 W/kg for the controls ) , and significantly greater bone mineral density in the neck of the proximal femur ( mean change = 0.09 , versus -0.10 for the controls ) , Ward 's triangle ( mean change = 0.04 , versus -0.04 for the controls ) , and trochanter ( mean change = 0.07 , versus -0.05 for the controls ) than the controls . However , knee extensor and flexor strength did not differ significantly between the groups . The fear of falling during daily activities reduced significantly more in the t'ai chi group ( mean change = -2.40 , versus 0.66 for the controls ) . CONCLUSIONS T'ai chi increased knee extensor muscle endurance and bone mineral density in older women with osteoarthritis , and decreased their fear of falling during daily activities . Further study with long-term follow-up is needed to substantiate the role of t'ai chi exercise in the prevention of fall and its related fracture PURPOSE Tai Chi exercise , an ancient Chinese martial art , has drawn more and more attention for its health benefits . The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of a Sun-style Tai Chi exercise on arthritic symptoms ( joint pain and stiffness ) , motivation for performing health behaviors , and the performance of health behaviors among older women with osteoarthritis . METHODS Total of 72 women with the mean age of 63 years old were recruited from out patients clinic or public health centers according to the inclusion criteria and assigned r and omly to either the Tai Chi exercise group or the control . A Sun-style Tai Chi exercise has been provided three times a week for the first two weeks , and then once a week for another 10 weeks . In 12 weeks of study period , 22 subjects in the Tai Chi exercise group and 21 subjects in the control group completed the posttest measure with the dropout rate of 41 % . Outcome variables included arthritic symptoms measured by K-WOMAC , motivation for health behavior , and health behaviors . RESULTS At the completion of the 12 week Tai Chi exercise , the Tai Chi group perceived significantly less joint pain ( t=-2.19 , p=0.03 ) and stiffness ( t=-2.24 , p=0.03 ) , perceived more health benefits ( t=2.67 , p=0.01 ) , and performed better health behaviors ( t=2.35 , p=0.02 ) , specifically for diet behavior ( t=2.06 , p=0.04 ) and stress management ( t=2.97 , p=0.005 ) . CONCLUSION A Sun-style Tai Chi exercise was found as beneficial for women with osteoarthritis to reduce their perceived arthritic symptoms , improve their perception of health benefits to perform better health behaviors BACKGROUND Although the benefits of exercise on the health of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) have been widely reported , the effect of Tai Chi as an alternative exercise has not been thoroughly evaluated in patients with COPD . This study reported a r and omised controlled trial , which investigated the effects of Tai Chi on lung function , exercise capacity , and diaphragm strength in patients with COPD . TRIAL DESIGN Single blind r and omised controlled study . SETTING Department of Respiratory Medicine , Xiangya Hospital , Central South University . METHODS Forty patients with COPD were r and omised into either a control group or Tai Chi intervention group . Participants in the control group received only routine care , while participants in the Tai Chi group received routine care and completed a six-month Tai Chi exercise program .  OUTCOMES Lung function parameters , blood gas parameters , 6-min walking distance ( 6MWD ) , and diaphragm strength parameters . RESULTS Lung function parameters ( FEV1 : 1.43 ± 0.08 and FEV1 ( % ) predicted : 47.6 ± 4.76 ) , 6MWD ( 476 ± 15 ) and diaphragm strength parameters ( TwPes : 1.17 ± 0.07 , TwPga : -1.12 ± 0.06 , and TwPdi : 1.81 ± 0.09 ) were found to be significantly increased in participants who successfully completed the six-month Tai Chi program compared to participants in the control group who only received routine care ( p<0.05 ) . These parameters were also found to be significantly increased in participants who completed the Tai Chi exercise program compared to the baseline ( p<0.05 ) . In contrast , no significant differences in PaO2 and PaCO2 were observed in participants before or after completing a Tai Chi program or between Tai Chi group and control group ( p>0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS Tai Chi  enhances lung function , exercise capacity , and diaphragm strength . However , this is only preliminary research data and a larger trial is needed for more detailed results OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of a r and omized controlled trial of the effect of a tai chi program on quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with COPD . METHODS We r and omized 10 patients with moderate to severe COPD to 12 weeks of tai chi plus usual care ( n = 5 ) or usual care alone ( n = 5 ) . The tai chi training consisted of a 1-hour class , twice weekly , that emphasized gentle movement , relaxation , meditation , and breathing techniques . Exploratory outcomes included disease-specific symptoms and quality -of-life , exercise capacity , pulmonary function tests , mood , and self-efficacy . We also conducted qualitative interviews to capture patient narratives regarding their experience with tai chi . RESULTS The patients were willing to be r and omized . Among 4 of the 5 patients in the intervention group , adherence to the study protocol was excellent . The cohort 's baseline mean ± SD age , percent-of-predicted FEV₁ , and ratio of FEV₁ to forced vital capacity were 66 ± 6 y , 50 ± 12 % , and 0.63 ± 0.14 , respectively . At 12 weeks there was significant improvement in Chronic Respiratory Question naire score among the tai chi participants ( 1.4 ± 1.1 ) , compared to the usual-care group ( -0.1 ± 0.4 ) ( P = .03 ) . There were nonsignificant trends toward improvement in 6-min walk distance ( 55 ± 47 vs -13 ± 64 m , P = .09 ) , Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ( -9.0 ± 9.1 vs -2.8 ± 4.3 , P = .20 ) , and University of California , San Diego Shortness of Breath score ( -7.8 ± 3.5 vs -1.2 ± 11 , P = .40 ) . There were no significant changes in either group 's peak oxygen uptake . CONCLUSIONS A r and omized controlled trial of tai chi is feasible in patients with moderate to severe COPD . Tai chi exercise as an adjunct to st and ard care warrants further investigation Objective . In a r and omized trial of women with early stage breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy  , two stress management interventions , tai chi training and spiritual growth groups , were compared to a usual care control group , to evaluate psychosocial functioning , quality of life ( QOL ) , and biological markers thought to reflect cancer- and treatment-specific mechanisms . Method . The sample consisted of 145 women aged 27–75 years ; 75 % were Caucasian and 25 % African American . A total of 109 participants completed the study , yielding a 75 % retention rate . Grounded in a psychoneuroimmunology framework , the overarching hypothesis was that both interventions would reduce perceived stress , enhance QOL and psychosocial functioning , normalize levels of stress-related neuroendocrine mediators , and attenuate immunosuppression . Results . While interesting patterns were seen across the sample and over time , the interventions had no appreciable effects when delivered during the period of chemotherapy . Conclusions . Findings highlight the complex nature of biobehavioral interventions in relation to treatment trajectories and potential outcomes . Psychosocial interventions like these may lack sufficient power to overcome the psychosocial or physiological stress experienced during the chemotherapy treatment period . It may be that interventions requiring less activity and /or group attendance would have enhanced therapeutic effects , and more active interventions need to be tested prior to and following recovery from chemotherapy Objectives . To evaluate the sustaining effects of Tai Chi Qigong ( TCQ ) in improving the psychosocial health in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) patients in the sixth month . Background . COPD affects both physical and emotional aspects of life . Measures to minimize patients ' suffering need to be implemented . Methods . 206 COPD patients were r and omly assigned into three groups : TCQ group , 
    Output:
    
RESULTS Meta-analyses showed that Tai Chi improved or showed a tendency to improve physical performance outcomes , including 6-min walking distance ( 6MWD ) and knee extensor strength , in most or all four chronic conditions .
Tai Chi also improved disease-specific symptoms of pain and stiffness in OA .
CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated a favourable effect or tendency of Tai Chi to improve physical performance and showed that this type of exercise could be performed by individuals with different chronic conditions , including COPD , HF and OA