SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Clinical Diabetes
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1605253
This article is part of the Research Topic(Un)healthy lifestyles, Aging, and Type 2 DiabetesView all 9 articles
The Effect of Tai Chi on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Provisionally accepted
- 1Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- 2Nanjing Institute of Physical Education and Sports, Nanjing, Liaoning Province, China
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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tai Chi on fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, blood lipids, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through a meta-analysis. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, WanFang, Web of Science, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating Tai Chi interventions in T2DM patients. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4 software with random-effects models. Results: Compared to the control group, Tai Chi significantly reduced: FBG(SMD= -0.57，95% CI [-0.92,-0.23]，P =0.001)，HbA1c(MD=-0.73，95%CI[-0.98，-0.49]，P＜0.00001)，TG(SMD=-0.50，95%CI[-0.91，-0.09]，P =0.02)，LDL-C(SMD=-0.70，95%CI[-1.26，-0.15]，P =0.01)，hs-CRP(SMD=-0.71，95%CI[-1.10，-0.31]，P =0.0005)，IL-6(SMD=-2.11，95%CI[-2.88，-1.34]，P＜0.00001)，TNF-α(SMD=-3.25，95%CI[-3.25，-0.53]，P =0.006). Subgroup analyses indicated optimal FBG reduction with: The standardized 24-form Tai Chi routine; Interventions ≥12 weeks in duration; Exercise frequency >5 sessions/week; Daily exercise duration ≥60 minutes. Conclusion: Tai Chi demonstrates clinically meaningful benefits for T2DM management. Future RCTs should explore age-specific (e.g., pediatric vs. geriatric) and sex-stratified responses to inform personalized exercise prescriptions.
Keywords: Tai Chi, T2DM, HbA1c, Blood lipids, Inflammatory markers, Meta-analysis
Received: 07 Apr 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sun, Li and Xue. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yawei Sun, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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