Response variation as a result of tai chi on resting blood pressure in hypertensive adults: An aggregate data meta-analysis.

Purpose: Determine if inter-individual response differences (IIRD) are present with respect to tai chi as a treatment for high blood pressure in adults with hypertension.

Methods: Using the aggregate data meta-analytic approach, seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) representing 503 hypertensive participants from a recent meta-analysis of tai chi on resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were included. Tai chi and control group change outcome standard deviations treated as point estimates for both resting SBP and DBP were used to calculate true IIRD from each study.