In 40 home pairs, 12 weeks of tai chi training lined up with a higher functional score and less sedentary time in chronic heart failure

What the research found

A pilot randomized trial was published on 11 November 2026. Adults with chronic heart failure, aged 18 to 75, New York Heart Association class I to III, and a family caregiver were recruited in Qingdao from 14 October to 12 November 2024. Forty dyads were allocated 1:1 to 12 weeks of home tai chi training plus usual care, or usual care alone, 20 per arm. Enrollment spans adult ages, so the age tag is all ages. Mean session attendance was 73.7 percent (standard deviation 8.6 percent). 14 of 20 intervention participants attended at least 75 percent of sessions. Every intervention dyad rated the program acceptable. No session-related adverse events were identified. Exploratory models from baseline to 12 weeks favored the tai chi arm on functional capacity (beta 38.858, p=0.001), Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire score (beta -1.850, p=0.002), sedentary time (beta -1.025, p=0.01), and fear of activity (beta -6.550, p=0.01). Caregiver burden also fell (beta -4.350, p<0.001). These are preliminary estimates from a pilot, not a full-size trial. The abstract does not give sex. DOI 10.2196/95689. Not medical advice.

Evidence level: Clinical trial. This is among the stronger kinds of evidence, but one study rarely settles a question.

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