To explore the effectiveness and safety of cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing phase Ⅲ rehabilitation.

This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 59 stable CAD patients undergoing phase Ⅲ rehabilitation treated in Sports Medicine Hospital from March 2017 to September 2017 were enrolled after meeting the inclusion criteria and then divided into cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise group (n = 30) receiving a 12-week intervention and control group (n = 29). All participants were assessed at baseline and at 12-week intervention for the primary outcome, that was treadmill test parameter and the secondary outcomes including physical fitness, body composition, bone mineral density, and cardiac ultrasound B-mode imaging.

There were no significant differences in baseline demographics between the two groups. After a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise intervention, compared with the control group, ΔVO₂ (initial 1352.63 ± 340.95 vs 12 weeks 1594.57 ± 467.14) vs (initial 1363.83 ± 322.90 vs 12 weeks 1323.76 ± 318.92) (P = .003), ΔVO₂/kg (initial 21.23 ± 3.56 vs 12 weeks 24.75 ± 5.11) vs (initial 21.01 ± 3.71 vs 12 weeks 20.35 ± 3.66) (P = .002), ΔMETS (initial 6.19 ± 1.12 vs 12 weeks 7.16 ± 1.60) vs (initial 6.00 ± 1.19 vs 12 weeks 5.86 ± 1.23) (P = .001), ΔVO₂/HR (P = .027), ΔSV (P = .014), ΔOUES (P = .012), Δhand-grip strength (P = .002), Δflexibility (P = .001), Δbalance (P = .002), ΔT-score (P = .042), ΔBQI (P = .018). However, Δresting systolic blood pressure (P = .004) and Δresting diastolic pressure (P = .012) decreased in the cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise group.

Cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise can improve cardiopulmonary aerobic capacity, physical fitness, bone mineral density in patients with stable CAD, suggesting that certain effect and safety for stable CAD patients undergoing phase Ⅲ rehabilitation can be obtained.