Peer-Reviewed Research: The Effect of Qigong Exercise on Immunity and Infections: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials

The article by Wang et al. (2012) presents a systematic review investigating the impact of Qigong exercise on immunity and infections. The review comprehensively examines 13 databases, ultimately including seven controlled studies, with the aim of assessing Qigong’s effects on immune function and infectious disease treatment or prevention. The included studies consisted of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two controlled clinical trials (CCTs), and three retrospective observational studies (ROSs).

Objectives

The primary objective of the review was to evaluate the clinical evidence of Qigong exercise's effect on immunity and its efficacy in preventing or treating infectious diseases. This research addressed a gap, as few reviews had systematically examined Qigong's influence on immune function despite numerous studies documenting its effects.

Methodology

The review employed rigorous search strategies across multiple databases from their inception through January 2011. Both English and Chinese terms were used to ensure comprehensive coverage. The inclusion criteria allowed for controlled clinical trials, including retrospective observational studies, while excluding case reports, qualitative studies, uncontrolled observational studies, and studies involving acute effects or cancer patients. Quality assessment was conducted using standard scales, including the Jadad Scale for RCTs, and risk of bias was evaluated using established frameworks.

Key Findings

1. Immunological Parameters: Most included studies showed favorable effects of Qigong exercise on immunity, particularly in T-lymphocyte levels and ratios (CD4+/CD8+). However, there were inconsistencies, as one RCT indicated no significant changes in lymphocyte measures.

2. Enumerative Parameters: The review identified that most studies focused on enumerative parameters such as white blood cell counts and immunoglobulin levels. Only one study examined functional immune measures, highlighting a gap in the research.

3. Lack of Infectious Disease Outcomes: Interestingly, no studies focused on clinical symptoms relevant to infectious diseases, making it challenging to draw direct conclusions about Qigong's efficacy in infection prevention or treatment.

4. Study Quality: Overall, the quality of the included studies was considered poor, with only two studies qualifying as RCTs, both of which had a Jadad score of 2, indicating methodological limitations.

Strengths and Limitations

The review is comprehensive in its approach, covering a broad range of databases and including both English and Chinese language studies. However, limitations are evident, such as the inclusion of a small number of studies with varied quality, making it difficult to establish definitive conclusions. The heterogeneity in study designs, intervention dosages, and outcome measures also hindered the ability to perform meta-analyses.

Conclusion

The systematic review suggests that Qigong exercise may have positive effects on immune function, particularly regarding T-lymphocyte activity. However, due to methodological shortcomings in the included studies, more rigorously designed RCTs are necessary to establish Qigong’s efficacy in enhancing immunity and its role in infectious disease prevention.

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Reference

Wang, C.-W., Ng, S.-M., Ho, R. T. H., Ziea, E. T. C., Wong, V. C. W., & Chan, C. L. W. (2012). The effect of qigong exercise on immunity and infections: A systematic review of controlled trials. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 40(6), 1143-1156.

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