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Tai Chi Outwits Vaccine
Scientists are beginning to learn that the health benefits in tai chi
that focus thought patterns are capable of protecting the body from
disease better than the allopathic conventions forced upon us by the
chemical industry.
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Ancient Art Rivals Vaccines for Immunity Against Shingles
9 April 2007 - By Neil Osterweil -
medpagetoday.com
LOS ANGELES, April 9 -- The Chinese art of tai chi
appears to protect against shingles as efficiently as a vaccine
against varicella zoster and even augment the immunity conferred by
the vaccine.
In a controlled study of adults vaccinated against varicella zoster
virus, those who had earlier been assigned to perform a westernized
version of tai chi exercises had significantly higher levels of
vaccine-stimulated cell-mediated immunity than did controls, found
Michael R. Irwin, M.D., of the University of California at Los
Angeles, and colleagues at UC San Diego.
And even before they were vaccinated, tai chi alone helped those who
practiced it to mount an immune response to varicella zoster virus
comparable to that of patients half their age, the investigators
reported in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society.
"Tai chi alone induced an increase in varicella zoster virus
-cell-media that was comparable in magnitude with that induced by
varicella vaccine, and the two were additive," they wrote. But they
pointed out that they could not determine whether tai chi could reduce
the occurrence of herpes zoster.
The research "demonstrated that a centuries-old behavioral
intervention, tai chi, resulted in a level of immune response similar
to that of a modern biological intervention, the varicella vaccine,
and that tai chi boosted the positive effects of the vaccine," said
Andrew Monjan, Ph.D., chief of the National Institute on Aging's
Neurobiology of Aging Branch, which co-funded the study.
The study of 112 patients was the first convincing demonstration that
a behavioral intervention can help protect adults against herpes
zoster and postherpetic neuralgia, added the NIH.
Although earlier studies have suggested that tai chi could have a
positive protective effect against varicella zoster virus, those
studies were small, non-randomized, and enlisted younger participants
at lower risk for compromised immunity than the current study, Dr.
Irwin and colleagues noted.
They designed a study that would apply the most rigorous science
possible to an intervention whose clinical benefits are hard to
quantify through conventional means.
The risk of herpes zoster is thought to be strongly linked to
cell-mediated immunity, and tai chi combines aerobic activity,
relaxation, and meditation, all of which are thought to boost
cell-mediated immune responses.
In addition, the gentle, methodical movements of tai chi are low
impact and can be performed by older persons with limited mobility,
the authors noted.
In the prospective controlled trial, 112 healthy older adults 59 to 86
years old were randomized to receive training and participation in tai
chi chih, a westernized, standardized form of the art, or to a
health-education program, both for 25 weeks.
After the 16th week of the respective intervention, all participants
received one dose of Varivax, a live, attenuated varicella zoster
virus licensed by the FDA to prevent of varicella viral infections.
The primary outcome was a quantitative measure of varicella zoster
virus cell-mediated immunity, determined by measuring the frequency of
peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A secondary outcome was the score
on the scores on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health
Survey (SF-36).
Cell-mediated immunity was assessed at baseline and at weeks eight,
12, 16 and 25.
The authors found that the tai chi practitioners had higher levels of
varicella zoster virus-cell-mediated immunity than the
health-education group (P<0.05). In addition, the tai chi group had a
significant rate of increase (P<0.001) that was nearly double that of
controls.
"Tai chi, together with vaccine, produced a substantially higher level
of varicella zoster virus-cell-mediated immunity than vaccine alone.
The tai chi group also showed significant improvements in SF-36 scores
for physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, and mental health
(P<0.05).
The investigators speculated that tai chi chih's apparent effect on
immunity might boost the response in older adults to other forms of
immunization, such as influenza vaccines.
"However, it is not known whether administration of tai chi chih
before or after vaccination might augment primary, as well as
anamnestic, immune responses," they added.
The authors noted several study limitations, including a cohort that
was healthier than age-matched peers, and it is not clear whether tai
chi would have the same effects in participants with medical
morbidity. In addition, the participants trended toward higher social
status and income groups, and the authors pointed out that they did
not determine whether tai chi chih reduced the occurrence of shingles.
The research was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The
authors have no financial gain related to the outcome and there were
no potential conflicts of interest. |
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