In 2013, a study conducted by Xin Liu, Yvette D. Miller, Nicola W. Burton, Jiun-Horng Chang, and Wendy J. Brown has unveiled promising results regarding the impact of Tai Chi on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in individuals with elevated blood glucose or diabetes who are not on medication for glucose control.

The primary objective of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Tai Chi-based program in enhancing HR-QOL for those with elevated blood glucose or diabetes. The study involved 41 participants who were randomly assigned to either a Tai Chi intervention group (20 participants) or a control group receiving usual medical care (21 participants). The Tai Chi group participated in three 1.5-hour supervised and group-based training sessions each week for a duration of 12 weeks. To gauge the impact, HR-QOL indicators were measured through self-report surveys conducted immediately before and after the intervention.

The results indicated significant improvements in the Tai Chi group across several HR-QOL domains, as measured by the SF-36 survey. Notable enhancements were observed in:

• Physical Functioning: The Tai Chi group demonstrated a mean improvement of 5.46 points (95% CI = 1.35-9.57, P < 0.05).
• Role Physical: Participants experienced an average increase of 18.60 points (95% CI = 2.16-35.05, P < 0.05).
• Bodily Pain: There was a mean reduction in bodily pain by 9.88 points (95% CI = 2.06-17.69, P < 0.05).
• Vitality: Vitality scores improved by an average of 9.96 points (95% CI = 0.77-19.15, P < 0.05).

The study concludes that engaging in a structured Tai Chi program can significantly enhance various aspects of HR-QOL, including physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, and vitality, in individuals with elevated blood glucose or diabetes who are not using diabetes medication. These findings highlight Tai Chi as a valuable, non-pharmacological intervention to improve the overall well-being of this population.

Reference: Liu, X., Miller, Y. D., Burton, N. W., Chang, J. H., & Brown, W. J. (2013). The effect of Tai Chi on health-related quality of life in people with elevated blood glucose or diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Quality of life research, 22, 1783-1786.