OBSERVATIONS Effects of Qigong on Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes

A randomized controlled pilot study Q igong is a traditional Chinese energymedicine practice combining breath-ing, movement, and meditation. Al-though previous studies suggest that Qigong may be a beneficial adjunct treat-ment for individuals with type 2 diabetes (1–3), few randomized controlled trials of Qigong inpatientswith type2diabeteshave beenperformed.Thepurposeof thepresent study was to investigate the effects of Qigong relative to physical exercise or stan-dard care on glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Two hundred fifty-one potential sub-jects were phone screened, 46 individuals were further evaluated at Bastyr Univer-sity, and 32 eligible participants enrolled in the study. Age- and sex-matched par-ticipants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group 1 (n 11) received the Qigong intervention, group 2 (n 10) served as the control group, and group 3 (n 11) received the progressive resistance training (PRT) intervention as an active comparator. Themean age of the participants was 56.3 8.1 years. Partic-ipants in all three groups were asked to maintain their conventional diabetes care, including medications, diet, and exercise, during the study. All participants were taking oral diabetes medication; however, none were taking insulin. Participants at-tended weekly Qigong or PRT group ses-sions (60 min per week) conducted by certified instructors in addition to practic-ing twice a week at home for 30 min per session. The study protocol was approved by Bastyr University Institutional Review Board, and informed consent was ob-tained from all participants. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and A1C were measured before and after the 12-week intervention. Insulin resistance was estimated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index score based on fasting glucose and insulin values before and af-ter the intervention (4). Statistically sig-nificant reductions in plasma glucose levels were observed in the Qigong group (184.9 35.3 vs. 161.9 40.5 mg/dl, P 0.003 by paired t test). All partici-pants in this group showed a reduction in fasting glucose by the end of the interven-tion relative to their starting value. In con-trast, both the PRT group and the control group increased plasma glucose levels over time (143.8 35.0 vs. 154.0 44.