Effects of the addition of Tai Chi to diet education on the atherogenicity of lipoproteins in obese older women

Objective. To examine the impact of the addition of Tai Chi (TC) to diet education (DE) on the traditional Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and emerging CHD risk factors, apolipoprotein B (apo B) and LDL particle size in older obese women. Design. This is an ancillary study of a randomized clinical trial. Settings/location. This study took place at the University of Rhode Island. Participants. A total of 26 obese women (mean age 61.5 ± 6.0 years, mean BMI 34.3 ± 4.0 kg/m2) were enrolled in this study and were randomized to either the DE group (n=13) or the DE+TC group (n=13). Intervention. All participants received 45 minutes of DE per week and in addition, the DE+TC group also received 45 minutes of TC three times per week for 16 weeks. Outcome measures. Anthropometrics (height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference), clinical variables (blood pressure), biochemical variables (standard lipid profile, apo B, LDL particle size) were measured. The primary outcome was LDL-C and the secondary outcomes were apo B and LDL particle size. Results. No improvements in LDL-C or apo B were seen in either group. There was an increase in percent large LDL at post intervention in DE+TC compared to DE. Reductions in weight, waist circumference and HDL-C were seen in both DE and DE+TC from baseline to post intervention. Increases in TAG and DST score were seen in both DE and DE+TC. Additional improvements were seen in the DE+TC group including significant increases in Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score from baseline to post. Conclusion. The addition of TC to a DE intervention is more effective than DE alone at improving emerging CHD risk factors such as LDL particle size and diet quality in obese older women. Key words. Obese, older women, Tai chi, DASH diet, lipids, apolipoprotein B, LDL particle siz